The Tactful Kind
by Fruit-Sexual
Summary: She ranked in as one of the smallest of the Shepherds, her swordsmanship was atrocious, and she couldn't even open a tome without tearing it. Oh, and she was pretty sure the captain's second-in-command wanted to kill her. There was going to be a lot of warfare…and not with the Plegians. [Frederick/F!Avatar]
1. Chapter 1

Description: She ranked in as one of the smallest of the Shepherds, her swordsmanship was atrocious, and she couldn't even open a tome without tearing it. Oh, and she was pretty sure the captain's second-in-command wanted to kill her. There was going to be a lot of warfare…and not with the Plegians.

A/N: This is probably going to be a collection of one shots centered around F!Avatar and Frederick over the course of their relationship and possibly beyond the game. Just as a note, this particular avatar was intentionally made very fragile in my actual file for challenge and thus shaped her character development which is why I liked her enough to write/draw on [she's in the story image]. I probably won't do chapter by chapter by the game because I'm honestly too lazy to do a full game write-up. Though because of this some scenes will have artistic liberties taken. Not sure how far this will go since I'm doing this very on the fly, unlike most other things I do which is fully planned out lol Breaking the rules! Enjoy and reviews are always appreciated as well as questions!

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"Milord, I strongly suggest we increase our pace. Nightfall will be upon us soon."

Chrom sighed good-naturedly at his steward-knight. While Frederick could be rather…pushy, the prince knew he meant well. At least that's what he told himself when his aggravation started to reach its breaking point. After all, it was Frederick's duty as a knight to protect the royalty of Ylisse; he and his two sisters. One of which huffed rather unladylike beside him. Despite the irritation, he could just make out the amused tone in her voice.

"_Yes_, Frederick. Chrom and I heard you the first six times. If you want us to hurry maybe you should carry us, my legs hurt from all this walking," Lissa puffed her cheeks out at the knight's back as he walked ahead of his charges. The princess gave him in a hard look before defiantly sticking her tongue out. Though his gaze was on the road ahead looking for signs of trouble, Lissa knew he was aware of her gestures. He always was.

"I would, milady, but I fear such actions would come across as inappropriate to onlookers. Plus, I would be ill-fit to handle any danger that should arise," Frederick replied in his usual flat tone. He kept his pace a few feet ahead of where Chrom and Lissa walked side by side. Chrom shook his head when he saw Frederick crouch to the ground to retrieve something before tossing it to his side into the trees. He chose to make no comment about the knight's safety precautions. He'd only give himself a headache otherwise.

"Peace, Frederick. We'll make it to the town soon enough. You worry too much."

At Chrom's casual statement, Frederick turned his neck slightly to look behind him at his charges. He said nothing but merely nodded, his stony expression still in place. He wasn't too pleased with the answer, but he merely had to accept it. Shifting his gaze back ahead of him, he looked to the edge of the path they walked upon. Right where the grass of the field grew thick, he noticed a rather large collection of pebbles and debris. That was a twisted knee waiting to happen! Frederick shifted his path as he walked over, picking and tossing anything he deemed a threat for a stumble.

Lissa watched as the knight started veering away, tossing pebbles and stones aside as he went. It was the perfect opportunity for backlash. " Hurry up, Frederick! It'll be dark soon if you spend so much time playing with rocks!" She finished her statement with a small giggle. Even Chrom smirked beside her. As much as they liked Frederick, he was just as much fun to tease. Said knight paused in his picking and shifted an un-amused glance over his shoulder. Frederick chose to hold his tongue to avoid stating anything rude to the royaltry under his watch. Seeing as how his continued actions would only lead to more mocking, he decided to chance leaving the debris and moving on. Unfortunately, having his gaze focused on Lissa and Chrom, the knight didn't notice the dark purple fabric looping onto his armor-plated boot as he made to walk past. He tumbled over into the thick grass, rather ungracefully, on his rear as he tried to twist and regain his balance.

When Frederick disappeared for a moment into the tall grass, Lissa and Chrom immediately rushed over. Hearing the creaking of their leather armor strips as they rushed to his location, Frederick quickly righted himself into a battle-ready stance. It was inexcusable for him to be caught so off guard! If there were danger, his close companions would be running head first into an attack, all on his account. But, Frederick would not let that happen. Whatever had caused this grievous action of tripping him would sorely pay for the deed!

"Frederick, are you all right," Chrom asked as he slowed his approach. The knight turned to the lord and held an extended arm out in warning.

"Careful, milord! Do not follow my example and be caught unaware! I haven't fully checked the area or what tripped m-"

"Oh, it's a girl!"

Both Chrom and Frederick turned their gazes to Lissa in disbelief as she crouched slightly to examine the bundle of dark purple fabric that had seemed to get the better of the knight. The cleric carefully pulled at the large hood of the figure sprawled in the grass to prove her claim. "I think she's even smaller than me! Wow, finally!" Indeed, Chrom noticed that the form bundled in the thick coat was rather petite, almost comically small. Yet, from looking over her features quickly, he could tell this was a grown woman, possibly even the same age as his younger sister. Looking about the field and path, Chrom tried to make out anything in the distance. Nothing as far as he could tell, so why was she here alone of all places? Looking the girl over again, he noticed smudges of dust about her skin and clothing, as well as the slight cracking in her lips. Whoever she was, she'd been on the road for a few days, most likely with little to no food and water. He could make out Frederick's distrustful stare at the figure on the ground out of his peripheral vision. Lissa turned to look up at her brother with a slightly concerned expression.

"Chrom, we have to do something."

Ah, and here came his usual crossroads. He could almost feel Frederick's prickling gaze on him. Ever steadfast, he could tell Frederick wanted Chrom and Lissa to not get involved in the unknown before them. The knight's argument was valid though, as this woman could be a danger. Being all alone and in roughened shape brought about a lot of suspicion. On the other hand, Lissa was vocally reminding him of his oath as a Shepherd. It was a Shepherd's path to stand watch over the 'sheep' and guard them from danger. Anyone who was helpless and in need of guidance was part of his flock. What if this person was in trouble? On the run from something that wished her bodily harm? Or perhaps they were over thinking the situation and this person was merely resting in a soft patch of grass?

"What do you propose we do," Chrom questioned warily. The girl's helplessness was pulling at his heartstrings, but the designs on her coat were beginning to make him wary the more he looked them over. Lissa, meanwhile, looked to him nervously as she stammered that she did not know. The siblings were drawn from their discussion by a gentle groan and the rustling sound of fabric. Looking down at the subject of their debate, both were relieved to see a pair of bright, alert eyes blinking up at them in confusion. The girl cringed slightly from having the setting sun directly in her newly awakened vision, but they could see her eyes gain focus as she blinked a few more times. Lissa smiled at her as she leaned in. "Hey there."

Following his sister's example, Chrom smiled kindly as he spoke. "I see you're awake now. There are better places to take a nap, you know." He admonished the girl in good humor before he offered his hand, asking her to let him help her up. It took her a moment to respond, as she seemed confused but transfixed on these kind people before her. When she did place her smaller hand into the lord's, he pulled her to her feet with ease, almost lifting her clear from the ground with how light she was! Once settled, the girl yawned and rubbed the remaining drowsiness from her eyes with her coat sleeves. Lissa tried to stifle her laugh when a defiant lock of hair upon the top of the strange girl's head almost seemed to wag about like a dog's tail at the motion.

Chrom was a bit more tactful by covering his chuckle with a cough before he spoke again. " You all right?"

The girl bobbed her head once in confirmation before she spoke. "Y-yes…Thank you….Chrom." Her voice was soft, quiet…almost as if she thought she would shatter the very air they breathed if she spoke too loudly, but it was just enough for everyone to hear regardless. Both her hands were curled in on themselves close to her chest. Whoever this girl was, she was very reserved, that much he could tell already. Despite that, the small, warm smile on her face and her bright eyes almost sparkled with invitation. It was as if she wanted something but held herself back for whatever reason. It was rather curious. Chrom's thoughts were interrupted, however, when Frederick chose to speak again.

"I would suggest you refrain from speaking milord's name with such familiarity, considering he did not give it to you."

The stern command literally had the girl jumping in fright, her whole body tensing as she turned to look at Frederick off to the side. Chrom sighed and made to scold Frederick for his harshness. Clearly the knight was still annoyed about his stumble earlier. It was hardly anyone's fault, merely an accident, but thankfully Lissa beat him to it. "Don't be so uptight, Frederick! Besides, she probably heard it from me; I did say it before."

"Very well, milady," was the only reply. Chrom shook his head over the whole fuss before smiling reassuringly at the girl again. "Don't mind, Frederick. He's just overbearing. Tell me, what is your name? What brings you here?"

Chrom's gentle tones seemed to ease her into a relaxed stance again. She smiled brightly at him. "Oh, my name is…is…uh." Her enthusiasm immediately dropped as she looked down, scratching her head. It was as if her body knew how she was meant to respond to his statement, but then stumbled when it realized she lacked a vital piece of information.

"You don't know?"

She tilted her head in confusion. "No…I…don't think so. Or, I just…I can't remember." She turned her head, seemingly rather disappointed with herself. It was then she noticed the grass and open fields about them. "Where are we exactly?"

Lissa gasped rather loudly as she turned to look at her brother, "Oh I've read about this! She has…um..am..amph-amnesia, I think it's called. That's it, amnesia!"

"It's called a load of pegasus dung," Frederick stated in his flat tone. Clearly he wasn't buying anything she chose to say. The girl in question looked to Frederick, her mouth open and moving slightly, but no sound came out despite any of her attempts. She quickly turned imploring eyes to Chrom and Lissa. It was pointless to defend herself to Frederick; she could tell there was nothing she could say to him to convince him of her story, but the lord in front of her seemed to be on her side. And with that, Chrom had had enough. He turned to the knight and gave him a rather hard glare.

"Enough, Frederick. What if she IS telling the truth? You know we can't leave her alone and confused in the middle of a field. A poor excuse for Shepherds we'd be indeed!"

Frederick snorted lightly and closed the distance between him and the amnesiatic girl. "Just the same, milord. T'would not do to let a _wolf _into our flock." The knight literally towered over her small frame, but with his stiff posture and imposing stare, he might as well have been one hundred feet. She once again shrunk into herself under his gaze, her eyes wide in fright. Turning her head side to side, she looked for anything else that might be in reference to his statement, but there was nothing. Hesitantly looking up to his unwavering eyes, she shakily pointed to herself for confirmation.

Luckily, Chrom once more came to her rescue. "Very well, Frederick. We'll take her back to town then. We can sort everything out there instead of arguing in the middle of a field."

"Very good, milord."

The girl disbelievingly looked between the two men. She stammered, not sure what to make of the situation. She was glad Chrom wasn't following Frederick's suggestions, whatever they were going to be, but she also didn't want to be a prisoner. Or, at least that's how it sounded to her. Chrom and his sister seemed nice, but at the same time she didn't know anything of them either. With her mind racing, she quickly blurted out the first thing that magically popped into her head.

"DAEDRA!" When all three turned confused gazes to her, she shakily continued.

"Daedra… m-my name is Daedra. I just remembered it."

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Hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading! BTW, before you ask, yes, I am a fan of Elder Scrolls, hehe!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all soooooooo so much for the reviews and favs/follows. I'm in awe, honestly, I didn't think anyone would be interested. It really inspired me to think up a second chapter for you. BTW, I clearly don't know the meaning of oneshots so sorry, I guess haha! Also feel free to send ideas/what you'd like to see. Who knows, it may inspire future chapters as I have a few in mind already but more are always welcome! Thanks again for all your support!

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Frederick counted himself as one of the most efficient of people. Some would call him merely stubborn, maybe even extreme, but Frederick knew this was not so. He, unlike most people, knew all that was required of his station, and because of this, he knew what tasks needed to be performed and at what times. He was a veteran knight to the Halidom of Ylisse and honorable guardian to the royal family of the Exalts. Some would say his duty should merely consist of acting the fierce warrior at the threat of attack, but Frederick knew this not to be true. Yes, he would readily take up his armor and weapon at the mere thought of danger, but a knight was meant to be so much more. He served under the royal house in all regards – protector, advisor, and close friend. And right now, Frederick was trying to _advise_ his lord about a certain disaster his knightly instincts were raging over from the moment he came into contact with it.

"Milord! I ask you again to reconsider about letting her join the Shepherds! This is a sure sign of great danger to befall us in the future."

Chrom sighed tiredly as he nursed his brewing migraine by pinching the bridge of his nose. This wasn't the first time Frederick approached him on the issue, but he was starting to grow annoyed. In his mind, Daedra was proving to be more than capable as a tactician for his Shepherds. Not to mention there was nothing disreputable of her character that drew his attention, aside from some….awkwardness. "Frederick, she's already joined us. You know I can't just go back on my word!"

"I beg to differ, milord. A mere word from you and it can be done by me personally."

Though the knight's voice remained its usual monotone bass, Chrom could just barely detect the irritation slowly bubbling under the knight's tone. What brought on this hostility, he wondered. While he'd always known Frederick to be overly cautious, earning the knight the name Frederick the Wary among him and his sisters, he very rarely pursued an issue after Chrom or Lissa had a final say on it. "Frederick, this doesn't have anything to do with Daedra accidentally tripping you, does it," he paused as he thought of something else that caught his attention on the subject. "-Or that she and Lissa scared off that boar you were hunting when we were on our way back to Ylisstol?"

Frederick's lips quirked downward every so slightly, but that was the only emotional queue the knight gave off. "My concern actually has nothing to do with those events, even though scaring off a more suitable dinner for you and milady is quite heinous."

"I like bear meat and Lissa was just as guilty in that incident. Again, I think you're just fretting yourself, Frederick," Chrom casually replied. "Besides, Daedra has proven herself more than worthy of character in our last few battles. Not to mention, Lissa has become rather fond of her, and I won't be the one to explain to her why Daedra is suddenly not be allowed to be a Shepherd." Chrom turned and sat himself upon the cot in his tent as he and Frederick continued their discussion. Their small caravan had taken to rest for the remaining daylight hours and evening to recuperate before they finished their journey to Regna Ferox for war support. Though no casualties were lost from their battle with the Risen earlier, injuries still needed looking after.

Frederick took a step closer to Chrom in earnest to make his point. "I'm sure once I fully explain my reasoning, your sister will see reason as well. I would like to point out the coat Daedra wears. It is Plegian and her story of losing all her memory aside a few details is highly suspicious. Having observed her since we first crossed paths in that field makes my suspicion only grow as well. I find it very unlikely that she carries a sword and tome on her person, but can barely use them." Frederick folded his gauntlets behind him as he waited a response from Chrom.

Chrom paused and thought back to their first battle together in Southtown. He, Lissa, and Frederick were all quite shocked to see that Daedra had followed them into battle, eager to help any way she could. Frederick had not exaggerated when he stated she was terrible with her weapons. The bronze sword she fumbled out of the sheath had ended up on the street near the start of the battle. Luckily, the bandits seemed more interested in Chrom and Frederick who charged in ahead, while Daedra remained off to the side near Lissa. Regardless of the blunder of her blade, Daedra slipped into a collected clarity, shouting directions and their enemy stats to him and the knight. They would have questioned it, but the heat of battle fogged their perception. They would worry about it when there wasn't a mortal threat all about them. Yet, as the battle raged, one of the enemy bandits had slipped passed him and the knight to go after Lissa. Being a cleric, his younger sister was defenseless and unable to attack. Luckily, Daedra willingly put herself into danger for the princess, even though she had no reason to, other than her own desire. Daedra had rushed into action and used her remaining weapon, the lightening tome. And by 'used', he meant that the girl chucked the entire book right at the bandit's face. While nowhere near as damaging as using the magic within, the tome hit the scoundrel right between the eyes. Pages scattered through the air, leaving the bandit stunned from the blow and momentarily blinded. Still, it was enough of a distraction for Daedra to grab Lissa's hand and lead her to a safe part of the street while Frederick charged on his steed to finish the thug off with one blow of his lance.

When Chrom really thought it through, their earlier battle that day was just as similar. Daedra, alert and observant to everything within the line of battle, shouted out brilliant orders and set the Shepherds into devastating formations, yet anytime she was required to use her weapons ended in disaster. Thankfully, Miriel had returned Vaike's axe when the fighting grew intense, allowing him and Stahl to keep an eye on Lissa and Daedra while he and Frederick tanked through the remaining Risen forces. Frederick did make a point on the matter once again though. It was very unusual for a girl with such a brilliant and cunning mind in the world of warfare to have little to no combat skill. Usually tacticians were war savvy veterans, having learned such techniques over countless battles or at least years of study. Daedra was no older than his younger sister! Could what Frederick suggested be true – that Daedra was bluffing her weapon skill to seem vulnerable? It was possible but even that scenario seemed highly implausible. Surely if Daedra _WAS_ a Plegian spy, she wouldn't be bold enough to still parade about in a Plegian styled robe? Plus he doubted the idea of her fake fumbling of weapons. It seemed too fluid, no matter how clumsy and jerky, to be staged, plus the enemy forces showed no sign of familiarity toward her. If she truly were a spy, she couldn't be so cold to knowingly kill her own countryman could she? She seemed too gentle for such a betrayal, even if it were an act. No, Chrom was sure of it. Daedra looked so determined and frightened for Lissa as she rushed forward to help his sister, gallantly pulling her to safety when she could have protected her own skin. Even now, Daedra was so eager and delighted to bond with all her newly met Shepherds. No, Frederick was wrong on this. He knew it.

"Enough, Frederick. I understand your concern, but Daedra has proven herself in my eyes. I trust her as a Shepherd and our new tactician. If you're truly concerned about her weapon handling, perhaps you could observe her more. I'm sure a warrior of your caliber could spot a fake with ease."

Frederick fumbled from the compliment for but a moment before nodding. "Very well, milord. I will do as you suggest, but should I find anything suspicious-"

"You'll report to me. Yes, I understand, Frederick."

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"Wow, Vaike, you were really great with your axe! I'm a bit disappointed you didn't have it from the start, things would have been very different," Daedra stated appreciatively as she looked up to the self-proclaimed 'Teach'. She clapped her hands affront her chest, bouncing on her toes slightly as a smile lit up her cheeks.

"Haha, no sweat for The Vaike! If my axe didn't run off in the beginning, those Risen-things would've been confetti!"

Lissa giggled beside Daedra. "Don't encourage the big oaf! He'll be so full of himself, he'll float off like a pegasus!" The two ladies giggled in good humor while Vaike huffed at being referred to a horse, a girlie horse for that matter! It didn't damper the tactician's enthusiasm though. It was hard _not_ to like people who cut off monster heads for her protection. Daedra turned and smiled excitedly at the other occupant of their small grouping. Looking up to Stahl, she complimented him as well. "You were great too, Stahl! You and Sully were so gallant with your horses – just like the fabled Cain and Abel!"

The young man in green armor beside her laughed in embarrassment while his hand absently scratched the mop of messy locks upon his head. "You think so? I'd say my performance was pretty average. But thank you all the same."

Before the tactician could comment further, Vaike approached, boldly swinging his large arm over her shoulders to pull her against his side. Daedra immediately tensed up at the contact, but Vaike didn't seem to notice as he good-naturedly shook her shoulder. "So The Vaike is curious! What secret weapon does The Tactician use? Ol' Teach can tell ya must know your stuff with all them crafty moves ya were givin' everyone on the field. Not that The Vaike needed them, but he appreciates good effort! So what's your specialty?"

Seeing Vaike joke about very carefree with her put Daedra at ease. She was still a little nervous with the physical contact and she wasn't sure why. Her body was just stiffening on its own accord despite her brain tell her Vaike was her friend like the rest of the Shepherds. Regardless, she smiled up at the warrior. "Specialty? I suppose just my…tacticiany-ness. I'm pretty terrible with other weapons."

"Oh, I doubt that. You just need some practice. Look at me! I've been with the Shepherds for years and I'm still quite mediocre," Stahl reassured. Lissa stepped closer, happily adding, "Yeah! With how good you are at strategy, you HAVE to be good with swords and junk. Maybe you just forgot how to use them, you do have amnesia after all! I bet after some training you'll be as good as my brother!"

"Hey, hold on now! Let's not get carried away yet! If ya get as good as Chrom, that means you'd only be a bit under The Vaike, and that would take all your effort! But ol' Teach is feelin' generous 'cause he likes ya! Teach will show ya the ropes!"

Unable to contain her excitement, Daedra squeezed free of Vaike's arm so she could turn and stand face to face with him. The smile lit up her face again as the stray bit of hair upon her head bobbed back and forth from her glee. "You will?! That's great because it would be really nice to be able to hold a sword once I get it from the sheath! When can we start?"

"How about right now? There are still a few hours of light left and we don't march until tomorrow. That's enough time for a few lessons. I'll help as well, I should prove to be an easy enough opponent, if anything," Stahl offered. "I'll go get some training weapons." Lissa cheered happily as she looped her arm around one of Daedra's as she pulled the tactician after the green cavalier. It did not take them long to set up a small ring in a clear patch of dirt. Stahl carefully lined up a selection of weapons against a storage crate, mostly consisting of swords and lances of varying sizes and weights. Lissa sat upon another crate that was positioned in perfect view of the whole area. She happily cheered encouragements to Daedra, assuring her to' kick the boys' butts'. Vaike stood beside Daedra, trying to explain that she should be using an axe. After all, the axe was The Vaike's weapon of choice, and therefore, the best. He even offered to let her use his.

"I don't know, Vaike. It seems pretty big for me and, what if I break it on you?"

"Har har! Please! This axe is powered by The Vaike's awesome! Only The Vaike can break it, so no worry there. C'mon, give 'er a swing, you'll see axes are the best choice. Go on!"

Vaike gave her an encouraging slap on the back, almost sending Daedra to the dirt. There was a lot of moisture in the air, so much of the ground was a touch wet. There were even random mud puddles scattered about the camp, so a fall here would have been bad. A fall during their practice would be fine, soft mud to cushion the blow, but before the fight would just be an embarrassment. Luckily, Daedra managed to catch herself with a few steps. Turning to the said weapon Vaike slunked into the dirt for her, she clenched her fists at her chest and shot the axe a determined look.

"Alright then!"

Hearing Lissa's encouragements from behind her, and even a few words of luck from Stahl, Daedra wrapped her hands tightly around the weapon and pulled with all her might!

…and pulled again.

…and again.

Stahl's and Lissa's shouts of encouragement quietly died down into awkward silence as Daedra struggled to just get the axe out of the ground. Pausing for a moment, Daedra looked about and noticed her companions beginning to stare at her efforts, and it caused her cheeks to redden and tears to collect in the corners of her eyes in embarrassment. This would not do for her first days as a Shepherd. Steeling her resolve, she planted her feet firmly apart and adjusted her hands before pulling with all her might. With determination, the axe was pulled free from the ground and Daedra managed to get it into the air! Only… for it to swing over her shoulder, the hilt roughly landing on one shoulder. She yelped slightly as the mighty weight of the axe head behind her threw off her equilibrium and she started falling back. Adjusting her steps, she managed to turn herself, only for her to start leaning now in that direction. She teetered back and forth for a good number of times. Vaike circled around Daedra, trying to relieve her of the axe, but was always out of reach or stepping back to avoid an axe to his gut. Stahl began to rush over to help, but Daedra finally stumbled back a bit too far to recover. Instead of landing on her rear, she bumped into a nearby cart of damaged armor from earlier. The axe slipped from her grip and thunked onto the cart, sending it tilting. The sudden amount of weight had the cart catapulting the armor bits all over the area and in front of a few nearby tents. Regaining her footing, Daedra righted herself to look over the ring, wincing slightly when she saw the huge mess and eventually her companions' incredulous stares. Lissa was the first to respond with an excited, "That was so cool!"

"… Oops."

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With a bit of effort, the small group of Shepherds managed to convince Daedra to give it another try, at least with a more manageable weapon. She was beyond embarrassed, her cheeks bright red and tears threatening to spill from her large eyes. Yet, with a few small sniffles, she agreed to anyway, if anything to please her new friends. Kicking the scattered armor bits outside the ring, Stahl suggested Daedra try a practice sword, since she claimed to have a bronze one. Best to get the hang of the weapon she would most likely use in battles. Vaike gave her an apologetic slap on her back. Though he tried to be somewhat gentle, Daedra still had to take a few steps to regain her balance.

"Teach didn't mean to put you through all that, Daedra. Sometimes it's hard to forget how empowering The Vaike can be with things! But, don't you worry! To make it up to you, Teach is gonna make sure to always look out for you, same with Stahl and Lissa." Vaike crouched slightly as he rested a hand on Daedra's shoulder. He gave her a confident smirk as she wiped away the last of her tears from her cheeks. He couldn't help it when he paused and stared at her face, noticing the moisture that still clung to her lashes as she pulled her hand away.

"Man, your eyelashes… are huge!"

Daedra frowned and looked up to Vaike as her cheeks began to burn again. Before she could comment, she heard Stahl and Lissa laugh from across the ring. "Heh, I'm glad someone else noticed that too. I thought I was the only one who thought that, so I didn't want to say anything," the green armored man chirped with a smile as he picked up a lance. Lissa giggled through the whole exchange, but managed to control herself enough to speak as well. "I know! Her lashes are so long and thick! I'm super jealous, they're so pretty!" Daedra could only look between all three, her mouth moving as she tried to form words, but she really didn't know what to say. It was embarrassing, but not as bad as her armor-flying extravaganza, plus they seemed to be poking fun in good humor.

Stahl saved her the trouble though by reminding them that they only had a few hours of proper light left. Getting herself back on track, Daedra nodded and went over to grab a practice sword as Stahl suggested and stood opposite of him across the ring. Stahl calmly began to explain basics to her, proper stance and handling of the blade. While he preferred swords, he knew his way around a lance and explained that lance wielders naturally had an advantage over sword users. When Daedra questioned why he would put her at a disadvantage, Stahl happily explained that if she could hold her own against lances in practice, she'd fair better on the actual battlefield. That way, if swords or axes came at her, she could handle them with ease and she wouldn't be taken by surprise if she can across a lance. Smiling at Stahl, she nodded in understanding and got into position as he instructed her.

"Ok, first let's work on your swing! You seem to be able to hold the blade well, so charge at me. Keep your sword to your side. I'll block with the lance, so try and swing at my middle to get a feel for attacking. You want to go for the largest target on an opponent," Stahl said as he held his lance in both hands to brace him.

With a nod, Daedra charged off. She made it a total of three steps before she tripped and fell flat on her face, the sword flying off to the side. With cheeks ablaze but determination in her eyes, she said nothing as she retrieved her sword and made to try again. It took her a bit to adjust to running with such a weight in her hands, but she managed it with a few tries. Once in range of Stahl, she pulled back and swung her blade. Swinging such a weapon, even a blunted one began to fill her with such a thrill. She felt empowered, strong… as if now she could do so much more, that she was capable of so much more. That is until her blade made contact with Stahl's block with a dull 'thrunk'. Stahl's lance didn't even move as the vibrations began to pulse through Daedra's sword and quickly travel to the rest of her body, leaving her in pins and needles. Stahl, Lissa, and Vaike were, again, struck silent as they watched the tactician ride out the last of her tremors. Once she seemed to still, she blinked large hopeful eyes up at Stahl.

"How was that?"

"It was… um…. That was definitely… a start," he answered as sincerely as he could. Daedra's face still drooped anyway. Both suddenly turned their heads to Lissa as she shouted and hopped off her crate. Running off to one of the far tents, she explained she'd be right back and to wait for her. Within minutes, the princess was running back to them, now with a dark leather bound book in her arms. Running up to Daedra, she handed it off to her. "Here! I forgot … you had a …tome with you …that first day. Maybe, you're better … with magic. I borrowed … an extra from our … supplies," Lissa explained as she tried to catch her breath.

Daedra cautiously took the tome and turned it about in her hands. It felt…awkward. For some reason, the sword felt more at ease in her hands, even if she was rather poor with it. Still, what did she have to lose? This was practice after all. Looking up to Stahl, he nodded, agreeing to train with her more as the two backed up to give themselves sufficient distance. Once Daedra was at her far end, she looked the tome over again. Now, how to make it work? Holding it up, she faced the front cover towards Stahl who readied himself. And waited. When nothing happened, Daedra looked at the book again before shaking it, maybe you had to jiggle the spell out? After a few more attempts, Daedra heard Lissa yell from her seat on the crate.

"Daedra! Try opening it! When Miriel uses magic, she opens it to a spell or something. You can do it!"

Nodding at Lissa, Daedra furrowed her brows in determination. Pulling the cover open with gusto, she flipped to a page in the middle… and immediately began to frown. What was all this? The entire page was covered in circles and squiggles. Turning to other pages, her frown deepened when she saw that ALL the pages were like that. Flipping frantically through the book, Daedra tried to find SOMETHING she recognized. Stahl watched her from across the ring. He had a feeling she was a bit lost, namely when she looked ready to cry again as she tore through the pages like she missed a key paragraph. He, himself, had never used magic in his life, so there was little he could offer. But, he'd seen Miriel wield magic with ease countless times. From what he recalled, he never heard her actually 'read' anything.

"Daedra! I don't think you read it! Maybe…concentrate on the page and think about the magic! That's how it looks when other mages do it," he yelled across to her.

Daedra looked up to him in shock but nodded. It was worth a shot, she certainly didn't know any other options. Picking a page, she stared hard at the symbols and circles. They all seemed to connect and interweave in some way, so she followed them with her eyes, looping from one part of the page to the next. Almost instantly, she felt a warmth from the book, and the printing turned the lightest glow of red. Taking this as a good sign, she paused her roaming eyes and concentrated everything she had on the page. It was working, it was getting warmer! Really warm….too warm in fact. Wasn't she supposed to… shoot it somehow too?

The thought came a second too late as the tome in her hands caught fire. Daedra yelped loudly as a flame rose from the page she was turned to. Not knowing what to do, she fumbled and tossed the entire book away from herself. When it hit the mud, Daedra realized what she'd done and rushed over to try and stomp the fire out from ruining the book any further. Unfortunately, the book was still reacting to her presence and the moment her foot touched it again, the flame grew, rising almost as tall as her. With a yell, she backed away to avoid burning herself, just in time to see Stahl rush over with a tarp he'd found. Tossing it over the book, the cavalier began to stomp it down, smothering the fire as Vaike and Lissa rushed over as well.

"Ogre's teeth! Teach has never seen a tome do that before!"

"Wow, that was scary, are you ok, Daedra," Lissa asked as she looked the tactician over, making sure there were no burns. "I can run and get my staff if you're hurt!"

Daedra shook her head, looking a bit disappointed about the whole situation. "No, I'm alright, I just hope that book isn't too damaged. I can't imagine tomes are cheap."

Lissa laughed lightly. "Oh it's ok. We have like three of that same tome in storage, plus Chrom is usually breaking everything when he practices. This is hardly the worse we've had to deal with." Daedra smiled at the princess and went to answer, but the tome and tarp beside them suddenly rose up in a large inferno. All four Shepherds jumped back to avoid the fire, staring up at it with wide eyes.

"QUICK, WATER! GET SOME WATER," cried Lissa as she and Vaike scrambled off to find the nearest water barrel and buckets. Stahl and Daedra tried to find anything nearby to smother the large tower of flame, or at least keep it controlled. While it was staying in a solid shape for the moment, who was to say it wouldn't spread and start igniting the tents. The tent closest to them suddenly had it's flap front thrown open as Frederick rushed out from the commotion.

"What's the-"

He unfortunately didn't get to say any more than that as he tripped on one of the discarded armor pieces from earlier, sending him face first into a mucky mud puddle. Daedra and Stahl cringed at the slopping sound and turned to see Frederick sprawled in the mud, momentarily forgetting the fire behind them. Daedra immediately began to panic. This was bad, she was already on thin ice with the knight, and he had made that very clear from day one. Now, because of her clumsiness, Frederick was covered in mud and he was not going to be pleased with her. She watched with wide eyes as the slowly pulled himself from the dirt. Frederick looked down at himself in disgust, his once shiny blue armor covered in grime and grass bits. Raising a hand, he angrily wiped the mud from his face as he set his eyes on two before him. Specifically … Daedra.

"What is the meaning of this?! This campsite is a mess, and why is there armor all over the ground! Someone could trip, as I just demonstrated!"

Stahl and Daedra exchanged glances. Why wasn't Frederick mentioning the fire? But, before they could say anything, Lissa and Vaike both returned, a bucket filled with water in each of their arms. "Hey, we got some- WHOA! What happened to the fire," Lissa asked in disbelief as she returned to the ring. Daedra turned behind her, stunned. It was true, the fire had been put out. The ground was all wet, an empty bucket was beside what was left of the tarp and the fire tome. But, who extinguished it?

"Fire!? What fire? What happened," Frederick angrily asked as he stepped closer to view the mess that was a raging inferno only a few minutes prior. Taking note of the ruined tome, he sent a disapproving glare to all present. "Explain!"

Tossing his bucket to the ground, now as it was unneeded, Vaike casually waved his arm at Frederick as a brush off. "Hey, it's fine. Ol' Teach had everything under control. Just some mishaps during training. Nuttin' more! Relax, Frederick."

The one side of Frederick's mouth curled up slightly in an almost snarl as he went to give Vaike his opinion on the matter. Before he could, Daedra pushed herself forward to speak. "Wait! It was my fault. Vaike and Stahl wanted to help me train. I knocked the armor over… and I cause the fire with the tome. It was an accident, Sir!" Daedra kept her head down as she apologized. She dare not look up at Frederick. Only when she was suddenly engulfed in a large shadow did she turn her head up, freezing like a frightened doe from the knight's intense glare.

"I should have known. I don't appreciate my campsite left in a mess, or valuable tomes misused and ruined for foolish nonsense. If you're so eager to train, then I will train you. We begin tomorrow morning, before we leave for Regna Ferox. Be up and ready, or I shall wake you myself and you will not appreciate it! Clearly, I will have to keep a closer eye on you."

With his peace said, Frederick sharply turned and stormed off, wiping traces of mud from himself as went. Daedra let out a relieved sign. Well it could have gone worse, she supposed. At least now she'd get the training she wanted. She looked beside her to see Vaike making faces in the direction the knight walked off in. "What a blow-hard! Frederick always has to blow things out of the water. The Vaike does not approve!" Lissa stepped over to Daedra and tried to give her a reassuring smile. It wasn't as effective as she'd hoped. "Don't worry about Frederick. He's nice when you get to know him. I'm sure you'll be…fine….with his training…maybe."

"Is it that bad," Daedra asked. Stahl chuckled nervously. "Kind of. Frederick is quite…the slave-driver. But, he is effective, if anything. I'm sure you'll be fine. You'll be a lot better with a sword training under him than you would from any of us though."

"I suppose. I have little choice at the moment. But now, I wonder who put out the fire. It wasn't me or Stahl, and clearly not Lissa or you, Vaike," Daedra questioned the others as all four Shepherds began to circle around the charred tome. "You know," Stahl began, "I bet it was the 'Barracks Ghost'."

"Barracks Ghost," Lissa questioned. Stahl nodded and continued as his three companions listened with interest. "Yes. Apparently there's a ghost haunting the barracks. People claim to hear a voice speaking to them, but they can never find who it is. And, every so often, gleams of silver streak around, but always out of the corner of your eye! The moment you look to it, it's gone! There's also the issue of moving items. Sometimes if a group of people sits around, cups of tea will suddenly appear when no one even walked past, and there's always an extra one! Not to mention books left out will suddenly end up on their shelf, and armor and weapons neatly placed on their racks. Rather spooky."

Vaike snorted as he looked to Stahl. "But we're not in the barracks! We're not even in Ylisstol!"

Stahl shrugged as he continued. "I think the ghost just haunts the Shepherds in general. It's just people notice it more when they're in the barracks."

"A barracks ghost, huh? Whatever it is, it sounds more helpful than scary. I wonder if we'll get to see it someday," Daedra asked curiously as she playfully tugged on a lock of her coppery hair.

"It sounds exciting!"

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Fun fact: Daedra has the longest eyelashes in the army!

Yes, Freddy Bear is pretty grouchy, it's because they served bear again for dinner, lol Poor Daedra, she's really bad at this fighting thing, but at least she's cute. Or so people tell her.

Thanks for reading and feel free to send ideas. They may inspire me!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you all soooooooo so much for the reviews and favs/follows. I'm in awe, honestly, I didn't think anyone would be interested. It really inspired me to think up a second chapter for you. BTW, I clearly don't know the meaning of oneshots so sorry, I guess haha! Also feel free to send ideas/what you'd like to see. Who knows, it may inspire future chapters as I have a few in mind already but more are always welcome! Thanks again for all your support!

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Needless to say, her first training session with Frederick the Wary was far from what she had imagined. Now, Daedra didn't expect to magically become a swordmaster after the first session, but she atleast expected some improvement with a blade. What Frederick had in mind for 'training' was more what Daedra called torture. When the knight approached her that morning, even he was surprised to see her awake and ready at the crack of dawn. She stood outside her tent, sword sheathed at her hip, as she shivered slightly in her oversized coat. Truth be told, Daedra didn't know what to expect for the morning. Frederick's words the day before didn't phase her until she had gone to bed that evening. She tossed and turned in her rickety cot, anxious of what Frederick had planned. It was no secret that Frederick was displeased with Chrom for putting what the knight called 'a suspicious stranger' into a rather important, and a rather trustworthy position among the Shepherds. If his words weren't proof enough, his cold stares spoke truer. Whenever he was about, Daedra could feel his eyes upon her, watching her every move looking for the first sign of betrayal. Even when he was out of her line of vision, she could literally feel his gaze on her back, freezing her on the spot as chills seized her spine in tense contractions. It was rather disconcerning, not to mention stressful. For someone to dislike and distrust her that much to suddenly have full command over her, and with no one else present to step in, was more than concerning. As such she usually kept her eyes turned down or away from his direction. She knew it made her seem guilty and weak but she could not handle such concentrated brown orbs. The few times she managed to lock eyes with Frederick, she was struck stone-still by their intensity. Eyes that held such focus, so unwavering in hopes of catching any detail to make her succumb to Frederick's will. Those eyes unsettled her, as they spoke much of the man who possessed them. Still, despite how nervous he made her, one had to admire such devotion and if Frederick was anything, he was devoted to the Shepherds. Even as he approached her for her first training session, Daedra kept her gaze on her feet. When the looming shadow of the knight engulfed her, she bravely managed to turn her head up to meet his gaze as she stammered out a good morning.

With a curt nod in response, Frederick led her off to a clear part of the camp to begin. As she followed, Daedra finally took note how early the hour was. The sky was only brightening in the softest of blue and white hues, the night still trying to cling to the sky before the sun would fill it with bright splashes of oranges and yellows. There were no others about the camp and all the tents were dark and quiet. Well, at least she could train in privacy and not have to worry about a display of embarrassment like yesterday. Somehow, she knew that Frederick wouldn't change his opinion of her over a mere humiliation, so there was that as well. He'd dislike her either way. When they reached the clear training ground, Daedra was rather surprised to see no equipment present. Perhaps Frederick kept his lance in a special place? Shrugging, the tactician went to carefully unsheathe her sword, but the knight halted her.

"You can leave that. You won't be using that today."

Rather shocked, she glanced over to him in confusion, but his hard look had her scrambling to sheathe the sword again and remove it from her belt. Once she was weapon free, she adjusted her clothing before looking to Frederick expectantly. How was she supposed to weapon train without a weapon? Unless maybe Frederick was going to give her a different one? The knight stood at attention, his spine straight and his arms casually folded behind his back.

"One of the most important traits for a soldier is endurance. If one does not have this, they may as well die on the spot. Taking into account for your size and recent responses, I've noticed your rather poor excuse of it. This will be your first part of training. You won't be much use if you grow tired after swinging your weapon a handful of times."

And with that, the training session began. For the first hour, Daedra was forced to run about the camp perimeter no less than fifty times. Frederick had kept close behind her, running as well. He claimed he would be a rather poor instructor if he didn't show her the proper way of things himself. Daedra, though, was pretty sure it was so she wasn't allowed to slow down. If she didn't keep her speed just so, she was hit in her rear by the sharp ends of Frederick's knee braces. After that so-called 'warm-up' as the knight put it, the next task was to build arm technique. Daedra felt herself grow excited at this prospect, surely this involved swordplay for her to learn. The 'technique' he had in mind did involve swords – cleaning them… and all the other weapons in camp. When the tactitian looked upon the large pile of weaponry, she disbelievingly questioned the knight on this task. After intimidating her with a glare, Frederick explained cleaning would get her arm to follow a motion by second nature. When Daedra again showed reluctance, Frederick, a bit more firmly, started that it would teach her discipline. In times of war, weaponry was a vital necessity to an army and weapons, regardless of value or grade, should be treated with respect. After her poor handling of the weaponry the day before, Daedra had a lot of 'respect' to give apparently. And so, she set to her task. Daedra didn't mind the act itself, it was actually rather relaxing to just calmly sit and meticulously rub the dirt and imperfections away. She could see the appeal of it and understood why she noticed many of the Shepherds doing such in their free time. What did ruin it was the fact that Frederick didn't seem pleased with her efforts. Most times when she felt she did a sufficient job, he'd claim it was unacceptable and make her do it again. It eventually hit a point where Frederick deemed she'd 'wasted enough time on the task' and set her off on the next and final part of training. Oh how she dreaded it. Frederick's next tasks involved rigorous exercise – sit ups, crunches, weighted push ups, and even pulls ups. Daedra could barely handle such exercise BEFORE the running and weapon care. But, for some reason, she was determined. She wasn't sure why, but she would not quit, not in front of Frederick. She would finish his training session even if it killed her!

Funny how she would phrase it like that.

At the current moment, Daedra was unceremonious slung over the back of Chrom's horse as the Shepherds made the remainder of their journey to Regna Ferox. When she finally finished training with Frederick, Daedra assumed she would have been able to slink back to her cot for at least a few hours of rest. The gods were not favoring her that morning. As soon as she'd escaped Frederick and found her tent, she'd heard Chrom announcing to pack up and move out and thus … went her tent and cot. With little rest from the night before and a morning of intense 'training', her sluggish pace was easily noticed. Too tired to walk properly, she shuffled her feet about in the dirt, leaving her almost trailing an entire mile behind the rest of the Shepherds. Chrom noticed her absence first, considering he enjoyed talking to his new tactician. He thought her charming and amusing, almost like another baby sister, considering how close she and Lissa were already. Seeing her trailing far behind, he quickly turned his horse about to meet her and asked what the trouble was. Once she mentioned 'Frederick' and 'training', Chrom immediately understood and sympathized. The prince offered her a ride on the back of his steed, which she happily accepted. Unfortunately, she had little energy to even sit up straight on the beast, hence her current position. As Chrom directed his horse back towards the front of his party, Sully pulled her own steed beside him.

"What the hell happened to her? It looks like you hunted her," the red cavalier stated as she tapped Daedra upon her head to check for life. Daedra managed to lift her wrist, mumbling something along the lines of 'I'm okay…'.

Chrom said nothing, but he made an amused sound as he turned his gaze ahead of him. Sully followed his line of sight and chortled rather unlady-like when she noticed Frederick scouting far up ahead on his steed. "Oh, one of 'Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Sessions'? Ahhh, I remember the days when I first joined the Shepherds. Those were some good times – some damn good times!" Sully turned her gaze to the clouds, a rather reminiscent look upon her face as she replayed her own training sessions with Frederick back in her younger days. She chuckled again, ending with a, "Good times, good times."

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The Shepherds all stood back to back, huddled about before the main fortress leading to Regna Ferox. The Feroxi guard pouring out in alarming numbers through gates on either side of the massive stone wall. This was not going to be the simple negotiation trip Chrom had originally planned. The border guard, Raimi, was convinced he and his vigilantes were disguised Plegians out to cause trouble. There was no room for parley now, considering a slew of spears had already been sent his way. If not for Sumia and her timely arrival on her pegasus, all would be lost. But at the moment, though outnumbered and in unfamiliar territory, all his Shepherds were at the ready. They'd just have to do things the Feroxi way. Chrom turned to his tactician as she stood beside him. The sudden drop in temperature from Regna Ferox's harsh climate and the threat of battle had her back to full attention and on her feet.

"What do you think, Daedra? Not quite the welcome I expected, but think we can make due?"

Daedra carefully examined the field before her. If the Shepherds attacked one side together it would ensure victory…until the other side swarmed in on them. That had the chance of their side being boxed in and potentially slaughtered. She also noticed a few archers scattering in among the trees. They'd have to keep an eye of Sumia with her mount now. But… Daedra spied the two heavily enforced gates on either side of the fort. They were locked and bolted now, and there were no lookouts upon the fort anymore. If that was so, there was a good chance one of the soldiers had a way to open it….

"Let's split up into two groups - one for the left and one for the right. They'll surround us on all sides, unless we face them while they're divided. Chances are, one of these soldiers has a key to the main gates, so if we can get it before they can call reinforcements-"

"We could regroup and storm the rest of the guard inside while they're unaware," the prince finished for her with a confident smile. "That's provided they don't have any surprises waiting for us inside."

"If they do, we can just lure them out of the one gate. We can cut down their forces with bug bites if we have to. As long as everyone watches each other's backs, we can get through this!"

Though they didn't know each other long, Chrom was always impressed by Daedra's skill. Normally the girl was rather playful, giggly and bouncy as she happily went around trying to make friends with any and all she could. She was gentle and he noticed her getting teary eyed on numerous occasions. Yet, the moment she stepped onto a battlefield, she took on such a solid grounding. She turned serious and observant, looking for any and all possibilities, but that gentleness always remained. She'd go out of her way to make sure every one of their soldiers was accounted and looked after, keeping help close at hand should the need arise. It was almost as if she were made to do this, by her own means or some other unworldly force, he was not sure. The ease she showed when commanding the troops into position left him in awe. There were times he'd look at a battlefield and not have the first idea what to do other than move forward. There was a lot of determination in his small tactician, and thank the gods for that.

When Chrom snapped himself from his thoughts, Daedra had already broken up the Shepherds into their designated grouping. One key factor he picked out right away was that Daedra was keeping Lissa close at hand. While he normally preferred his younger sister to be close to his side, he figured Daedra had the right idea. When in battle, he'd sometimes lose himself, focused on the opponent at hand. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't always look out for himself and his sister at the same time, which almost led to her death in Southtown that first fateful day. Daedra also favored staying towards the back in fights, since she had rather poor luck with her weapon choices. As such, she was usually next to Lissa in some way and the two had made a habit and keeping an eye on the other. While he was confident the two would be fine, there were a lot of Feroxi soldiers about…

"Daedra, may I request something?"

"Yes, Chrom?"

"Take Frederick to your side."

"Fr-Frederick?! B-but-" Daedra couldn't help the shock in her voice, and the knight in question seemed leery of the idea judging by his skeptical glance towards the prince. Chrom seemed to ignore them as he pushed his request.

"We'll be fine on our side, Frederick. I'd feel a lot better if you were with my sister and Daedra. Make sure to keep them safe!" With his peace said, Chrom turned and rushed off with his own party to engage the enemy, leaving Frederick and the girls to stare after him.

"Hey! We're perfectly capable on our own! The nerve of him," Lissa huffed angrily. Daedra said nothing as she kept her gaze anywhere but near Frederick. She could already feel his gaze on her shoulders. This was going to be a tough fight for a number of reasons. Frederick suddenly turned his horse to his new designated battlefield while he turned his gaze to Lissa. "Come, we must not dally. Remember to mind your distance, milady."

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The next few days all seemed a blur to Daedra. Right after their brawl to merely get INTO Regna Ferox, life seemed to be tossing one fight after the next at the Shepherds. After speaking with Khan Flavia for support, the Shepherds were 'encouraged' to win a tournament in her name to get the troops Ylisse desperately needed. With victory and a Feroxi pledge in hand, they backtracked to Ylisstol, only to hear that one of their fellow Shepherds, Maribelle, was being used as a bargaining chip by the mad king of Plegia. Though Maribelle and Daedra didn't hit it off well at their first introduction, the duke's daughter was important to Lissa. Daedra just couldn't let her down, and so off they went into another tough battle. And, she couldn't forget the random littering of Risen bands that seemed to pop up when they least expected.

Despite what one would assume, the battles rarely took much out of Daedra. Yes, she grew fatigued and sore after them, just like the rest of the Shepherds, but planning for them seemed like second nature to her. For some reason, being on the field put her into a calm state, her mind focused and ready. Truth be told, it did concern her a touch, but she decided not to worry on it for now. If she did, there was a possibility she could somehow disrupt her ability to strategize on the spot. If that were to happen, she'd end up getting all her new companions killed, and that thought frightened her the most. So, she decided it was best to just accept she was good at making plans for war and to try her best to keep every Shepherd alive. Chrom was counting on her after all! Though at the moment, he was far from her favorite person. The prince rarely questioned her judgment on the field, placing his full support in her. Though as of late, he always had one request, and always the same one: Frederick was to keep an eye on her and Lissa.

For that first battle at Ferox, the three Shepherds seemed unhappy with the new setup, but Daedra said nothing. Chrom was just worried about his sister, who was unable to fight even if she desired to. Daedra couldn't fault him on his reasoning. Lissa huffed angrily and grumbled, but that was all. Daedra suspected that her friend didn't mind Frederick keeping an eye on her; she was just sore at Chrom for almost babying her. Though, the tactician was rather surprised at what little fight Frederick put up on the matter. In fact, he put up no fight what so ever, but that was something she noticed concerning the knight. When Chrom requested something of him, Frederick tried his best to fulfill it. So far, trusting Daedra was the only thing he seemed to truly oppose. Yet as the fighting went on and the small unit formation remained the same, the three accepted it for what it was and refrained from saying any more on the issue. It was for Chrom, after all, and that's what mattered to them.

Even though Frederick rattled her nerves, Daedra couldn't help but be fascinated with watching the knight on the battlegrounds. While all the Shepherds were skilled and had unique gifts among themselves to contribute, Frederick was something different. He had such a fearless ease about him, no matter the situation or opponent, he looked down each one with that focused unshakable gaze of his. Though Sully and Stahl were skilled on their own mounts, their techniques were nothing like Frederick's. Charging ahead without any doubt of defeat, he took opponents one by one. Daedra had always assumed Frederick to be rather slow and stiff from wearing such heavy armor, compared to the rest of the Shepherds, but she was mistaken. The knight almost glided across the field, leading his horse with a steady hand and a stern presence into the fray. While skilled with both sword and lance, Daedra noticed the knight favored the latter. He maneuvered the weapon with such balance, using only a single hand to strike his enemies with such sharp lethality. He may as well have been wielding a light dagger with the ease he showed compared to a weighty silver pole. Despite his grace, Frederick boasted such tremendous power to match it as well. During one of the Risen attacks the Shepherds had to deal with, an enemy cavalier had charged them full speed. Its dark coated steed puffing blasts of hot air from its nostrils, its red eyes flaring eerily to match the rider that held a sharp lance held at the ready. Such a terrifying sight it was, but the knight only met the challenge. He charged ahead as well, like an old joust from a fantasy tale, to meet the Risen. The two collided, Frederick sending the undead warrior sailing right off the back of its horse while the knight barely seemed phased. He was magnificent to watch, but a force to be feared and respected.

And, at this current moment, Daedra feared him above all else. In the sudden quiet after such grueling days, Frederick had 'kindly' reminded her that they had training to catch up on. The small tactician had intended to speak up for herself. The state she was left in after their first 'training' session reduced her to a pitiful state, one unsuitable to properly function during a battle. She'd only managed to part her lips before Frederick looked down at her silently and narrowed his dark brows, leaving Daedra just about shivering in his wake. When the smaller woman remained silent, he turned and directed her to follow him to the training ground. She could do nothing else but reluctantly follow with a defeated slump of her shoulders. When the reached the clearing that was designated for practice, Daedra assumed it was going to be another session for endurance. When she turned to Frederick, she was surprised to see him adjusting his armor and a blunted practice lance casually held in one hand. When he finished, he frowned when he saw the tactician staring at him rather befuddled. Clearing his throat as loudly as he could, the knight righted his back at attention and tapped the end of the lance into the dirt before he spoke.

"We'll be training in weapon-use today. Take a sword from the rack."

"Bu-but what about…my endurance and… 'respect for weapons'," she stammered out as she blinked her large eyes owlishly at him.

The knight let out a puff of air from his lips that held the tiniest hint of frustration, but spoke in his usual calm tone. "Your endurance has been improving over the recent battles we've been encountering. Rather poor and slow, but still improvement. As our battles grow in frequency, you will need to improve your swordsmanship, lest you become an easier target."

Daedra winced at Frederick's words. While she was well aware of her rather poor excuse for skill in weaponry, it still didn't sound appealing being told so bluntly to her face. Still, there was no escaping the fact that the knight was indeed correct. With each foe they faced, their cause continued to steadily grow more challenging. Each battle was proving to be harder than the last. And, while they gained more and more support, it seemed the Risen and Plegia did as well to match them. If every Shepherd did not pull their weight and try their best, the whole lot of them would hit snags and that could cause a world of trouble for everyone. Taking a sword and holding it at the ready as Stahl had shown her days earlier, Daedra looked across to Frederick with a determined pout. The Shepherds were becoming so important to her – she would do her best for them!

When Frederick saw her take a defensive stance, he went into his as well. Though it was a mere practice, Frederick could never let himself perform at half effort. When Daedra saw his serious expression and the severity with which he held his lance, her burst of spirit immediately deflated. All at once, the battles from the previous days with Frederick flooded her mind. Again, she witnessed in frightening clarity just all the power and skill the knight commanded at his mere fingertips; such power that he rarely held back, as far as the tactician could tell. Daedra couldn't help it when her lips began to quiver as her knees developed a case of the shakes and tears filled her eyes. Frederick knew to take it easy on her right? That one solid hit from him would be the end of her, right? No, Frederick never held back, he always gave one hundred percent in everything he did! He'd kill her, she was sure of it. Daedra had seen Frederick cleave a training dummy in two during a practice once!

Though Daedra truly wanted to improve herself and perform at her best for her fellow Shepherds… it would have to wait.

Without warning, Daedra swiftly tossed her sword to the ground and turned about to flee as fast as she could, shouting, "I YIELD, I YIELD, I YIELD," as she made her escape. Frederick stood dumbfounded, staring at the now empty air where Daedra was once standing. Watching her retreating back, the knight frowned angrily. No one was allowed to abandon a training session with Frederick! Clenching his lance angrily for a moment, he too dropped it to the dirt before taking chase after the tactician, yelling for her to 'cease her cowardice and perform her duty of training'.

Though Daedra was rather small in stature, she was quick on her feet, especially when she was convinced her life would be ended if Frederick caught up with her. The knight pursued her through the camp, running after her knowing that sooner or later, his endurance would outlast hers. Even knowing this, the effort was proving to be more difficult that he thought. While he knew he would outlast her, Daedra could weave effortlessly through the camp with her small size. Whenever Frederick seemed to gain some distance on the tactician, he always managed to bump into someone or something. He made a mental note to apologize to Stahl when he was finished reprimanding Daedra. The bruises forming on the green cavalier would heal in a few days anyway. As Frederick slowed himself to try and maneuver his large armor through a stacking of crates, he just caught sight Daedra's back as she turned and vanished behind a corner. He'd catch her, Frederick would make sure of that!

Daedra continued to run for all she was worth. There were a few instances where she was sure Frederick would have caught her, but a quick turn always managed to save her. She was fortunate that the knight was donned in his full armor [not that she'd ever seen him out of it since she joined…] which made bustling about camp more awkward than it could have been. The plates of his metal suit were also a helpful warning to her whenever Frederick came too close. When she heard the loud clattering as his plates collided together, she knew to either speed up or make a fast turn. At the moment, Daedra could just hear his armor ever so faintly. Good, she managed to put some distance between herself and the knight. All she had to do was find a decent hiding spot until dinner was served. She'd be in the clear! Daedra was so preoccupied with her planning and looking over her shoulder for signs of Frederick that she was literally thrown back when she collided full speed into something. The small tactician landed on her back with a loud, 'Oomph!"

Sitting up with a wince, Daedra shook her head to try and clear the stars before her eyes. Suddenly, clattering metal plates filled her ears and it was right upon her. Assuming that Frederick somehow intercepted her, Daedra looked up… to see the tallest man she had ever seen wearing the largest set of armor she could imagine. She blinked her large lashes numerous times before rubbing them with her fists, thinking maybe she was hallucinating from the blow. The tall armored man crouched slightly to see her better as he gently questioned her.

"Oh! Are you all right? That was quite the collision. You didn't get hurt, did you? I'd feel just awful if you were hurt because you didn't see me…."

Daedra could only stare up in awe at this tall man before her, her blue eyes wide as soup tureens and her mouth forming a small 'o'. Before she could reply, more clattering of armor caught her attention. Frederick! Bolting to her feet, Daedra looked about to try and figure where to go. In her fumble she'd forgotten where she had planned to go and hide. With nowhere else to turn, she looked up to the armored giant with sad pleading blue eyes as she folder her hands at her chest. He gave her a small frown before gesturing to a nearby crate. Taking the hint, Daedra rushed over and crouched beside it. The armored man then tucked himself to stand in front of the tactician, completely blocking her from view. Just as he got into position, Frederick angrily barreled past, looking about furiously for any sign of Daedra. The other large armored man raised a plated glove in greeting to the knight.

"Good day, Frederick."

Frederick didn't seem to hear or even acknowledge this large man before he continued on his frenzied hunt. Once he was out of sight, Daedra cautiously crawled out into the open. When she was sure it was all clear, she happily smiled up at her protector, bouncing slightly. "Oh thank you! I would have been in such trouble if he found me. Frederick doesn't think highly of me."

The man chuckled down at her, almost as if he knew the feeling. "I noticed. Oh! That must mean you're Daedra, Chrom's new tactician. I overheard about you." The man had yet to open his eyes, but Daedra didn't think much of it. He helped her, that's all she really cared about. That and the fact that he towered over her by nearly a foot and a half!

"Yes, I am. Are you a Shepherd too? Did you just join up?" Daedra's head tilted to the side as she questioned him. She absent-mindedly twirled the curled strands of hair that was tied by her ear. The man coughed slightly as he frowned.

"No, actually. I've been a Shepherd for some time. Years, in fact."

"Years? Where have you been then? I haven't seen you around, and no one has mentioned another Shepherd."

The man chuckled again, though it was more bitter than humorous. "Folks just don't see me. I tend to blend into the background, as you've noticed. I just lack….presence, I guess. I try to do nice things for the other Shepherds back at the barracks. Bringing drinks and such so they'd notice, but everyone acts rather strange instead."

Daedra hummed in thought for a moment. Why did that sound familiar? Her face soon lit up in recognition as she addressed the armored man again. "OH! I know who you are! You must be the 'Barracks Ghost' everyone talks of! Oh wow, I never thought I'd really get to see you!" Daedra giggled while her companion could only look to her in confusion.

"A ghost? I'm no ghost. My name is actually Kellam, by the way. Though, if everyone assumes I'm a ghost that would explain their behavior all of a sudden." Kellam sighed at this new revelation. Well, at least people were acknowledging his presence in a way, so there was that. The girl beside him giggled again, which drew his attention.

"I should go, before Frederick comes back. Thank you again, Sir Ghost, you're very nice. Is there anything I have to do to find you again? Maybe throw some salt into a fire or say your name three times in front of a mirror? I'd certainly like to talk again."

Even Kellam chucked at her little joke. It was strange for someone to want to try and find him. He wasn't used to that. "Oh, I'll be around if you need to hide from Frederick again. I'm sure you'll…run into me again sooner or later. Though I hope not so hard next time."

Daedra giggled, which caused Kellam to smile again. It was such a cute little sound, it would have been harder not to be happy with her. With a small wave, the tactician bid her new friend farewell, promising to see him again soon. With that, she rushed off, making sure to peek around the corner again for any sign of Frederick before she scurried out of sight. She'd still need to find a good place to hide until supper. Perhaps the cooking area. She didn't having cooking duty tonight, but they always needed help there so that would be a valid excuse. Thinking over the events of the day, Daedra signed at all the trouble. Frederick would not be happy when they eventually did run into each other again, but that would have to wait until later. At the moment, she had an alibi to create.

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What'cha gonna do? What'cha gonna do when the Barracks Ghosts finds you?

I really like Kellam. I think he's amusing. It's funny because I can write him very easily but I'm having a lot of trouble with Frederick. Thanks weird Frederick supports lol

Sigh, this should prove to be fun. Again, thank you for reading and feel free to send ideas or comments!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you all soooooooo so much for the reviews and favs/follows. Also feel free to send ideas/what you'd like to see. Who knows, it may inspire future chapters as I have a few in mind already but more are always welcome! Thanks again for all your support! Also, if you're in the mood for a nice start of a Henry/MyUnit fic, my friend just posted here. It's titled "Every Ounce" and I recommend you all give it a read. She writes the best Henry in my opinion ^^

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Frederick had made it his mission to truly get to the bottom of the Shepherds' tactician. From the moment his liege accepted her friendship in that field, he was skeptical. Her behavior and story were too coincidental to be genuine. While Frederick was duty bound to serve Chrom and his cause, he had his own instincts to follow on as well. While he had full trust and respect for the prince, Frederick would be the first to admit that Chrom was far too trusting, so it was up to the knight to eliminate any hints of treachery when they reared. And, as of late, the tactician, Daedra, was growing more and more suspicious in her actions. He'd made a habit for himself to watch her whenever the opportunity presented itself, and he was never surprised to see her scurrying about at all times. She was always fluttering about with the other Shepherds, asking them questions or merely watching their activities. She spent far too much time with Chrom and Lissa for the knight's liking, as well. Frederick did not approve of the level of familiarity that had grown between the three. Aside from the usual talk of warfare that was expected of them, Chrom and Daedra spent a great deal of time talking of nonsense – sharing jokes and the like. The lord had even developed a habit of ruffling the small woman's hair. The knight vaguely remembered that Chrom used to do similar to Lissa years ago, but he had stopped when Lissa complained daily of her ruined hairstyle. Lissa was even worse, as she would link arms with the tactician and drag her about the camp with her as they both giggled to each other. That coupled with the fact that Lissa brought Daedra to places Frederick was not permitted to follow, such as the bathing area and such. How was he to prevent betrayal when he was not permitted to be properly vigilant at all times?

While most assumed Daedra to be merely friendly and tried to convince him of such, Frederick knew better. Even he had to admit Daedra's acting was superb at times, seeming almost genuine with her gentle tones and soft gestures, but her behaviors were too blaringly for him to overlook. For the first matter, if the woman was truly so terrible at weapons, why did she have not just a sword, but also a tome in her possession when they first met? There were much smaller and simpler weapons one could have for defense, if that was the case. Frederick would have even been willing to overlook this anomaly as mere arrogance on Daedra's part, if it were so. He'd met his fair share of rash youngsters claiming to know how to wield their blades in hope of making a name for themselves to hide their lack of skill and experience. Yet, this was not case for Daedra, or perhaps, he thought, the opposite effect. The tactician's sudden behavior had Frederick all but convinced she was a Plegian spy, as he first assumed on that day in the field. Weapon skill aside, Frederick noticed right off that Daedra was always questioning things. It was never a matter of authority, no, as she seemed to embrace the hierarchy of their band of soldiers, her own position stumbling about from tactician to bumbling recruit depending on the hour of the day. The fact was that Daedra was always asking the other Shepherds questions, Chrom and Lissa included. Questions that ranged from rather personal to nonsensical, but regardless, they were still questions that were painting an ever-expanding portrait for her into the mental workings of her comrades. Her large eyes always watching the other Shepherds' actions and gestures as she spoke with them made Frederick wary. Though she rarely participated with the others, Daedra was always at the training sessions, watching and cheering from the sides. The same attentive observation she sported in her chats about the camp also came into play at the training. Considering the weeks that had passed since her arrival, Frederick was rather positive Daedra knew of every Shepherd's strength, weakness, preference, and fighting style by now. Such information could be disastrous for their army should it be whispered to enemy forces. Though it made sense for her as a tactician to know such information, it was unusual for one to take that much account on every individual.

It didn't take the knight long to realize she would watch him with the same amount of interest as she did the others as well. While Frederick would not shirk his training responsibilities, he tried to toss her false habits and quirks when he noticed her gaze from the sidelines. He disliked how intently she'd watch him during training. It was never good to present all of one's chips on the gambling table, so to speak. When he could, Frederick usually tried to meet her gaze from across the training field as a challenge. She could rarely keep her eyes locked on his before she'd turned them elsewhere. If that wasn't a clear sign of guilt and shame, he didn't know what was. Still, though Daedra was always at training, rarely did she participate enough for him to even gain a grasp of her own style and skill. This was either because she had none, or, which he truly assumed, she was hiding her abilities. This was an unsettling scenario. Frederick never liked being unprepared and unaware of an opponent and this would be the case should Daedra truly prove to be traitorous.

Currently, certain other things were drawing Frederick's attention. As of late, the incidents concerning Daedra seemed to be growing. Not only that, but all these occurrences were rather destructive or disruptive to the well oiled wheels that kept the Shepherds on track. The most recent incident had been at dinner the night prior. While the tactician had somehow managed to avoid him for a good amount of meal gatherings over a number of days, they'd finally crossed paths that particular evening. Daedra had been distracted as Lissa talked avidly with her from the seat beside her. Unusually though, Maribelle was also present and seemed to be tolerating the tactician, joining in Daedra's and Lissa's conversation when she had a remark to share. Seizing his chance, Frederick made point to approach the three young ladies. He walked with purpose, his expression relatively blank as he made show to sit directly across from Daedra. He remained silent as he kept a stony expression focused on the small woman. Daedra was too absorbed in Lissa's story to notice the knight, until Maribelle shifted and greeted the newcomer.

"Oh Frederick, when did you arrive?"

The sound of his name immediately had the tactician tensing in her chair. Cold chills immediately began to burst up her small spine, freezing her on the spot and she turned her gaze to stare at the knight. Daedra was rather shocked to see him sitting right across the large wooden table from her, with his solid gaze focused directly on her. While he didn't look particularly angry in his expression, Daedra could tell from the downward line of his lips. The corners were turned a touch lower than his normal scowl and his eyes held the same focus they had in battle as he charged a foe. She knew avoiding Frederick had been a terrible plan. The longer she dodged him, the more the tension grew, as was evident in his mannerisms at the moment. The tactician vaguely heard Lissa happily cheer her own greeting to the knight beside her. Swallowing the stone lodged in her throat, Daedra managed a nervous smile and a tiny wave of her small palm.

"Oh! Hi, Frederick! I haven't seen you since lunch, where have you been?"

The knight cleared his throat before answering the princess. He took his time to shift his hard gaze from Daedra over to the girl beside her, his eyes immediately softening. "Good evening, milady. I have spent the afternoon _training_, as all proper soldiers should." Frederick made sure to emphasize the word as he shifted his eyes to Daedra again. He felt the smallest hint of satisfaction at the wince that jutted the tactician's shoulders. While none of the other Shepherds really spoke of the 'training incident', almost everyone was aware of it. Most of them had been rather curious as to why Stahl had been covered in bruises and face down in the dirt…

Lissa turned and took note of both the knight's and Daedra's expressions. She had known Frederick for a collection of years, since his acceptance of knighthood to the Halidom, and she was well aware of the level Frederick took with training. While he could be difficult in general, Lissa was aware of his stubbornness in particular when in came to Daedra. What was his problem? Daedra was so sweet and nice and she tried her best for everyone. And Frederick was just being a jerk to her friend. Though Lissa really wanted to, she knew she couldn't exactly _order_ Frederick to stop hating the tactician. Well, she could, but Frederick would either go on a tirade about how he was a terrible knight for not being able to change his feelings on a whim, or he'd use his sneaky use of loopholes and explaining that doing so would be hazardous to her and Chrom's safety. Why did he have to be so complicated?!

"Don't be so mean, Frederick!"

Daedra, Maribelle, and Frederick all looked to Lissa in shock at her sudden shift in demeanor. Frederick was the first to recover, clearing his throat again and setting his expression to neutral. "I do not follow you, milady. I am not putting any emotional preference into my actions. I am merely following my duty as a knight. It falls to me to make sure all of our soldiers are prepped and ready to battle, whether checking equipment or supervising their training. It will be no aid for milord if all his followers quit the field mid-battle. If one is to show no fear then one must be prepared, and to be prepared, one must train."

With every word Frederick spoke, Daedra slumped a little farther from the table. Why did Frederick have to bring up Chrom? She didn't think of it at the time, but her actions the other day must have portrayed her as the biggest coward. She never meant to give off that message; she'd never run and abandon the Shepherds! They were her friends and she liked them…well most of them, at least she definitely liked Chrom and Lissa! The tactician looked to her friend, noticing Lissa was still glaring angrily at Frederick. Here her friend was sticking up for her and she was sitting here fretting and crying over the fact. Turning to Frederick, Daedra opened her mouth to speak, but a voice cut her off.

"Damn right, Frederick! You wanna get strong, ya gotta train like you'll die tomorrow…'cause you will without it!"

Sully made her way over to the small group, food tray in hand. She had been looking at Frederick but seemed a bit confused when she noticed Lissa, Maribelle, and Daedra. Clearly she expected Frederick to be speaking with more…masculine Shepherds. Daedra realized Sully most likely didn't know what the conversation was really about, but she suspected the red cavalier had heard about her act of cowardice around camp. Even though she and Sully were good friends as well, the tactician had a feeling Sully would have made the same remark. Sully was like that, the kind of friend to be honest. While she could handle cavalier's criticisms, Daedra wasn't sure how she'd fair under both Sully and Frederick at the same time.

"Ahh, and such tragedy it would be! For such lovely feminine visions to be taken from my watchful eye. Though I can not decide what will be more terrible – the idea of such valkyries perishing in battle, or perishing from exhaustion from such training," came another voice from across the Ylisstol mess hall.

Both Frederick and Sully turned to the owner of the flamboyant voice with disgusted glares. Sully, as usual, was the first and loudest to voice her opinion to the archer as he sipped a delicate cup of tea. "Oh, 'cause I'm sure someone like you knows ALL the benefits a hard day of training gets you!"

Virion had turned in his seat, casually crossing a leg up over his other as shifted his rather long hair over his shoulder. As usual, Sully's rough statement didn't faze him in the least. The archer merely chuckled in a haughty fashion before replying. "Ahhh~ My dearest Sully, a fiery vision on the battlefield. Your lovely feminine wiles are truly wasted away with such barbaric practices. Same with my dearest tactician and fair noble ladies. Were I could, I would face each foe to prevent harm coming upon such beauties as yourselves."

Though Maribelle had been rather quiet, her snort finally broke through the conversation as she glared at the archer. "Hmph! While I dislike skirmishes as much as the next fair lady, I do hope you are not implying that we as women cannot handle ourselves. Because if you are, you are sadly mistaken, sir!"

"Damn right! 'Sides, I'd rather kiss the latrines than let a ruffley tea-sipper like you fight my battles! We might as well hand our butts right over to those damn Plegians!"

"That will be enough of such talk," Frederick sternly interrupted. He could let a lot of talk slide, but none of this mutiny! Turning to give Virion one of his stern glares, the knight continued. "Considering archers make poor front-line fighters, this plan is forthright rejected."

The archer only chuckled, placing his tea calmly onto the table. "My dear knightly compatriot, do not mistake my talk of braveries for mutinous plot. I have no desire for command, all I was suggesting is that we shelter and protect what is truly important in these bloody times."

"Pfft! Protect?!" Sully slammed her tray of food on the table so she could fully turn to Virion and glare, hands angrily placed upon her hips. "Like I'd want your protection, or need it! If you were paying attention, we were talking about training – so that us 'visions' wouldn't need protection from chumps like you! I've seen how you practice; fire one arrow and then rush off to fix your hair and clothes! My grandmother could do better than that, and she's dead!"

Virion sputtered, almost toppling from his seat. He clearly was not expecting such scorn from his gentlemanly offers. Before he could reply, a loud voice approached from across the other end of the dining hall. "Yeaaaaahhh! Teach knows the start of a good old school yard brawl! Get'em, Sully," Vaike cried as he eagerly made his way over. Maribelle glared at the fighter as he forced his way into the conversation. "Oh, quit your yelling, you ruffian! This is not your conversation, now be gone!"

"Hey! Watch who you call a ruffian! I don't have to take that from a snoot like you!"

Maribelle almost shrieked at such an accusation. Though she didn't have her trusty parasol, the young noble was about to rise from her seat and teach Vaike a lesson of her own. All that stopped her was Lissa grabbing hold of her waist to keep her from pummeling him. Vaike snickered at her, maturely sticking his tongue out which sent Maribelle into a more rambunctious struggle. It took all Lissa had in her skinny arms to keep her friend from performing rather un-ladylike actions on the warrior's face. Frederick paused in his own verbal assaults with Virion to turn to sternly look at Vaike and Maribelle's interactions.

"Enough, you two! This is hardly how you should be ac-," but the knight was cut off as Vaike turned a rather annoyed look to Frederick instead while he spoke.

"Oh, please! If this whole mess has to do with training, Teach knows it probably has your name smeared all over it! Your training is the worst!"

All the Shepherds present, minus Vaike and Frederick, let out a collective gasp of shock as they were stunned into silence. All eyes turned to Frederick as his expression turned fierce. Lissa's arms slipped from Maribelle's middle while Daedra's flew up to cover her mouth. The knight had never been terribly fond of Vaike, considering how unruly and inappropriate he acted with Chrom. Still, he was a reliable warrior, so Frederick usually let his transgressions slide, and there was quite a collection of them. Being careless with his equipment and unruly during drills was one thing, but assaulting Frederick's protocols for being a proper soldier was unforgivable! The knight straightened his posture as he calmly stood from his seat, shooting his hardest glare at Vaike as he took a step forward. "You'd do well to watch your words. It would not be prudent of you to insult someone whom you have never been able to defeat," Frederick stated in his monotone, though there was just the slightest hint of an edge to it.

Before anything more could be said between the two, more voices burst into the fray. "Guys, calm down! Don't do this," cried Ricken as he rushed over with Donnel. The commotion had apparently gotten rowdy enough to draw attention from all across the mess hall. "Thas right! Ya'll should be fightin' them bad guys, not each other," Donnel added. His usual pot-helmet was not present upon his dark curly hair as he had been expecting to enjoy a meal with his fellow companions. Seeing the fire that was slowly building, he silently wondered if maybe wearing his trusty pot at all times would be a good idea.

"Quiet, kids! This is adult talk!" Sully interrupted them before Ricken could get another word of reason in. At the statement, the small mage immediately went red. "Hey, I'm not a child!"

"Tarnasion! You ain't got no right to be callin' mud on the pig, Ma'am! We were jus' tryin' to get ya to act your own ages. We ain't the children here," Donnel shouted rather angrily at the female cavalier. Though he highly respected Sully and liked spending time talking to her, he had to stick up for the little guys too!

And thus began the decent into madness. Everyone suddenly began yelling and commenting, which somehow drew the attention of others to join. Miriel had approached as well, though she didn't exactly participate. She calmly adjusted her glasses and observed, remarking how stress had such fascinating reactions to even the closest companions. Frederick had tried to bring about order again, but even his stern words could do nothing. Daedra watched in horror as all her fellow Shepherds began swarming upon each other with vicious words and criticisms. She worriedly looked back and forth between all the Shepherds, having no clue what to even say or to whom. She spied Stahl stepping into the hall with a large cauldron of stew to serve. One glance at the chaos brewing had him turning about and heading back to the larder, remarking about checking on some pies. Daedra wished he would have stepped in to help tame the fighting, though she couldn't blame him for wanting to avoid it, especially after Frederick accidentally ran him down days prior. Glancing about nervously, she noted how everyone was so focused on each other, well, except one. When Frederick couldn't calm his companions, he turned his stern glare to Daedra.

Daedra wanted to just sink into a puddle. She honestly didn't mean for this to escalate into such a mess. Why didn't she just practice with Frederick and let him have killed her days before? At that moment, someone bumped into the knight from behind, drawing his attention. When he turned to try and stop the roughhousing he was surprised to see no one in his vicinity. Lissa, who was still trying to keep Maribelle from lunging at a fellow Shepherd once more, turned to Daedra silently mouthing for her to escape while she could. There was no sense for her to get eaten alive by her now rapid companions. Taking her empty soup tureen at the table, the small tactician placed it upon her deep red hair and slowly slipped under the table to discreetly leave the mess hall. Perhaps if she left, everyone would calm down. She seemed to be a beacon for trouble as of late. When Frederick turned back to her, the tactician was already long gone.

The chaos had only continued for a short time longer until Chrom arrived. A few well-placed shouts from their leader had everyone silenced and muttering apologies. Frederick tried to apologize profusely, but Chrom silenced him. With an annoyed sigh, the lord reprimanded all present about how this was no way for his Shepherds to act. As usual, Chrom seemed to be the one thing everyone could agree and count on, so any grievance that had developed between anyone was now under the bridge. Frederick took note that since Daedra was not present, everyone seemed to have forgotten her involvement. While he remained silent at the time, making note to personally apologize to the prince later for his blunder, he promised himself to watch the small woman more attentively. He wasn't sure how, but he was positive she orchestrated the whole incident. It would be rather easy for the Plegians to pick off the Shepherds if they were all fighting amongst themselves. Divide and conquer, after all.

As such, Frederick tried to follow his plan to keep a vigilant eye on the small tactician, but that was when her other unusual habit was brought to his attention. Whenever he seemed to be looking for her, she would all but disappear. This was very suspicious indeed since she seemed to pop off at random times and intervals, yet she always seemed to be around if Chrom needed her for council. Frederick had assumed perhaps his efforts were slipping, but after some self-assurance and asking about with the other Shepherds, no one could ever find Daedra in these instances either. The knight was far from pleased with this scenario. Clearly Daedra had to have some sort of secret if she knew how to hide from everyone's presence whenever she wished. That, or, Frederick surmised, that she could be popping off to deliver vital information about the Shepherds. Either way, the knight was determined to deal with this whole mess, any way he could.

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"Uhhhgh… thank you, Sir Ghost. I was sure Frederick was going to put an end to me right there at the table!"

Daedra let out an exhausted sigh as she plopped herself rather unceremoniously atop a storage crate. When she heard a throat being cleared she looked up to her companion with a smile. Ah, her tall ghostly savior. Though she was well aware of his name, she had grown fond of teasing him with her accusation of Kellam being a ghost. At first, the tall knight thought it was merely because she didn't remember his name, but Daedra made sure to toss a 'Kellam' in here and there for his reassurance. He was rather strange sometimes, one minute complaining about no one noticing him, but then next was purposefully hiding in a dark corner where it would be hard TO see him. Still, she liked him and he had been to her rescue over the past days since their first meeting. She practically became invisible herself in his presence!

"That certainly was a commotion back there. I don't think I've ever seen any of the Shepherds fight like that before," Kellam calmly stated. He frowned slightly when he noticed Daedra winced, clearly she thought the whole mess was her fault. The conversation may have started with her, but the fighting was certainly not her doing. "Don't blame yourself, Daedra. It wasn't your intention. I think this is the first it's ever happened because this is the first time any of us have been in an actual war. Bandit raids are one thing, but war is much harsher."

"I suppose," the small woman conceded. She still felt guilty on the issue as she casually kicked her legs back and forth from her seat on the crate. "Still, I don't know what to do. As much as I like talking with you, Sir Ghost, I can't keep hiding behind your armor every time Frederick comes in distance."

"Can't you? It really is nice to be noticed for once. And, it's nice to give someone their drink and not have them yell about spirits," Kellam smiled at Daedra in good humor, though some part of her had a feeling that deep down, Kellam was being sincere. This saddened her, but she had little idea what to do on the matter. Everyone seemed too preoccupied to really give Kellam any of his or her time and the knight in question did little to aid himself in getting noticed. Still, one catastrophe at a time…

"I can't keep hiding from Frederick forever. It's not helping anyone, least of all - me." Daedra quieted a moment while she looked at her swinging feet. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she thought about what a pathetic mess she was turning out to be. Sniffling lightly, she continued. "I don't want to keep running away. I don't want everyone to think I'll abandon them - because I won't! It's just…Frederick is somehow so much more intimidating than Risen and Plegians. Whenever I approach him I think about what he's capable of and I panic. It's only making him dislike me more. I really wish I could just show him I won't let Chrom and all of you down!" Daedra wiped her moist lashes and looked up to Kellam for his input. The knight smiled sympathetically and pat her upon her red hair with his large gauntlet. Daedra silently quelled the strange uneasiness at such contact. She was growing rather used to the action since a good number of the Shepherds had adopted Chrom's little habit for her.

"Frederick can be pretty severe at times, but he's a good man. Chrom wouldn't put so much trust in him if he weren't. He's tough on everyone new; well at least that's what I've seen. I've never really spoken to him since joining with Chrom or really trained with him. But, he won't do anything to you. Chrom and the rest of us would be pretty upset, you know. But, I think if you want to prove yourself, you'll have to confront Frederick on your own terms." Daedra only nodded with a small pout on her lips. Kellam was correct, but that didn't make it sound any more appealing to her. Seeing how she wasn't exactly reassured, Kellam continued. "I'll still look out for you though. I'll be around, even if you don't notice at first. If Frederick starts being mean to you again, I'll just throw my armor at him. How about that?"

That did the trick as Daedra covered her lips as she giggled. She could just imagine Kellam tossing the hefty part of his shoulder plates at the other knight like a giant boulder. Not even Frederick could handle such a mighty blow. With her spirits lifted, the tactician smiled and thanked her friend. It was then she noticed a few of the other Shepherds wandering the grounds casually. Her and Kellam had been speaking for a good amount of time. They would need to go to the mess hall soon if they wanted any scraps left from dinner. "C'mon, Sir Ghost! Let's go see if Stahl left us anything for supper." The larger man nodded and followed as she scurried off her crate.

Luckily for them, there was just enough stew and meat pie to make for a decent dinner. By that time, most of the mess hall was empty and had even been cleared of dishes and cups. Daedra and Kellam rather enjoyed the quiet. At least it was a welcomed change from the yelling that was filling it earlier. As the small woman chewed on a tender chunk of beef from her stew, she thought about seeing Lissa before everyone turned in for the night. She was curious how things went after her friends kindly created an escape for her. Daedra took a sip of her lukewarm tea and made to ask Kellam a question but paused. The taller man seemed distracted and had his gaze [or what Daedra assumed was his gaze since his eyes always seemed shut] elsewhere. Tilting her head at him, she called to him but he didn't respond at first. Turning her head to mimic him, Daedra looked down across the hall and noticed another Shepherd was sitting quietly at a table farther down.

"Oh, it's Miriel! Maybe we should go join her." The red haired mage sat at her own table, a worn leather book of some sort open in front of her. She adjusted her glasses a moment, never taking her eyes from the words on the page. A plate and cup were beside her, with remaining scraps of dinner still present. Clearly Miriel had once again gotten so absorbed in her reading that she hadn't finish her meal and no one bothered to disturb her. Not that they could, in reality.

Kellam jumped at the announcement and turned to look at his companion. Daedra noted he had a strange expression on his face, well strange in the fact that his face was usually rather blank. He coughed slightly before speaking. "O-oh…no, no we shouldn't do that. I wouldn't want to bother her …while she's reading." Daedra gave him a befuddled look. She could have sworn she saw the lightest hint of red on his cheeks, but it was so faint it could have been a trick of the candles strewn about the hall. Looking to Daedra, he smiled as he stood from the long table, gathering his dishes. "Oh I forgot I was going to help patrol tonight. I have to go now. Even if no one notices, I still like to be on time."

Stepping away, he made to walk off, but he paused as he turned back to Daedra who was watching him rather curiously. "Remember what I said. If you stand up to Frederick, he'll see how great you are to the Shepherds. But, if he does start to give you trouble, don't you worry. I promise I'll be around to help you out. Let's see Frederick get through this!" He clanked his chest plating loudly for emphasis. Daedra was still too confused as she tried to take in all the information that had been recently buzzing around her. All she could manage was a slight nod of her head, her spoon still casually held between her lips as she watched him make his way off. Once she had lost sight of Kellam [she'd gotten pretty good at being able to follow his movements], Daedra turned her attention back to the red head mage. She watched the female mage shift her arm, most likely to relieve a cramp, and knock over her cup. Miriel jumped as the remaining liquid spilled across the table, seemingly having forgotten it was still there. She jumped from her seat, clutching at her book to save it just in time from damage. Miriel adjusted her glasses before begrudgingly looking at the mess about her. The more Daedra thought on the issue, the more a certain question kept popping up in her mind. She'd have to think of it over the next few days. At the moment, she had dinner to finish and a certain princess to gossip with.

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Sorry this chapter took so long! But funny enough, the dinner fight scene was not originally in my thought process for the chapter. It was just supposed to be implied awkwardness but since a good number of you requested to see it, I just HAD to put it in for you guys. I redid it like 2 times but it's probably still mediocre, but I hope you still enjoyed!

You also got a chance to see one of my other favorite pairings in Awakening. Lol I absolutely adore them. Adore them enough that I'm thinking of writing a little oneshot collection [legit this time] and have it slightly paired up with this one. Mostly just in the fact that Daedra and certain incidents form this story will be mentioned so I don't have to actually come up with a whole new MyUnit or whatever. Any thoughts on that?

Again, thank you all for reading and your support. It honestly keeps me writing!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you once again to all who reviewed and watched this story. It really means a lot to me!

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After finishing her meal and helping with any final clean up, Daedra decided to use the remaining time before the night grew too late to make amends with her fellow Shepherds. She originally had planned to first seek out Lissa for a low-down on the outcome of the incident earlier. Though, Daedra was starting to see that avoiding issues, even seemingly insignificant ones were proving to be disastrous for her. Besides, if she could help fix any problems that may have stemmed up from her inability to speak up earlier, then she would do so. As she wandered her way about, the tactician had a feeling no ill will clung to anyone from any of the harsh words spoken earlier. Everyone she came across seemed perfectly relaxed and back to their old selves. For one, she noticed Sully casually speaking with Ricken and Donnel. The two younger boys were laughing, most likely at a joke or remark the red cavalier had made. When she approached and apologized for the fight at dinner, all three were confused. To Daedra's surprised, all three of them had forgotten she had even been there. When they explained about Chrom's intervention, Sully in particular, told her not to fret over the issue. Everyone was stressed and it was behind them now so they could 'kick butt' come tomorrow. As she bed the three farewell, the tactician still wasn't convinced, so she went off to continue her rounds.

As with Sully, Ricken, and Donnel, most of the other Shepherds who were involved in the light verbal brawl earlier barely connected Daedra with the incident. Vaike merely laughed and gave her a reassuring hit on her shoulder [that almost sent her toppling] and Stahl just smiled as he remarked that he 'was glad things had turned out as they did'. Lissa was back to her cheery bubbly self as she laughed over the whole incident as well. Maribelle snorted with a remark about her and Lissa having to be involved, but she overall didn't blame Daedra. The tactician just assumed the sharp tongue was a usual Maribelle trait and didn't take it too personally. When she came across Virion, he had actually remembered her being there, rather vividly in fact, though again, no blame was placed. Instead he spent at least twenty minutes showering fancy words and phrases upon her that she didn't quite understand and offered to entertain her with tea and a strategy game. While the game did sound fun, Daedra politely declined, mentioning she had a few more things to see to before bedtime. Virion gave a dramatic wilt but instantly spun into a dashing smile when Daedra promised him a game when she found some time tomorrow. With another goodnight said, Daedra decided she had one more person to see: Frederick. Though Chrom had broken up the argument at dinner, he had arrived well after she had retreated and Daedra didn't see a point to remind him of the incident. Though, she told herself that if she happened to come across him in her wanderings that night, she would at least say something. That only left her business with the knight. From what she remembered, Frederick had seemed furious… namely at her. She gulped lightly from the memory of his eyes locking with hers with such accusation. She still had no idea what she was doing to make him so angry with her all the time…

Well… aside from being a coward towards him….

And, a terrible fighter…

And, a bit weepy.

Pausing, the small tactician sighed sadly and rubbed her eyes, already feeling the prickle of tears at her own analysis. She had a feeling things were going to end terribly and debated about letting Frederick sleep on the incident. Perhaps a night's sleep would soften him slightly… but she immediately shook that thought from her mind. If Frederick were truly capable of being softened up, he would have eased up on her by now, but in truth, he only seemed to dislike her with every passing day. Thinking back to what Kellam told her earlier, she vowed to at least try to follow his advice. She'd make sure to speak with Frederick tonight. That seemed like a reasonable start.

But as usual, her goal seemed more difficult than it should have been. The knight, who normally was in the middle of everything concerning the Shepherds, was nowhere to be found this particular evening. Daedra had circled about at least 4 times and hadn't seen hair nor armor plate of him. This was rather unusual since Frederick was always one of the last Shepherds to retire every evening. He always had a final preparation to make or just needed a final patrol for his ease of mind, but tonight he was anywhere but. Not wanting to give up so easily, Daedra decided to ask about before the hour grew even later. After all, there was just a chance she merely kept missing him and he would soon go to bed. As she passed by her fellow Shepherds again, she questioned them on the knight's whereabouts. Everyone she asked was surprised to see her still running about but was also clueless on Frederick's location. When she asked Sully, she suggested checking the weapon storage. When she came across Stahl, he suggested the larder. Vaike, Ricken, and Donnel all gave their own ideas but all ended the same: no Frederick. Kellam was still patrolling for the evening and when Daedra managed to catch up which him [which was a bit challenging in the dark] she thought maybe Frederick was with him. Sadly, the larger knight was also curious of Frederick's disappearance. Daedra had tried to ask Miriel, but the red haired mage was so absorbed in her book that she didn't even register the tactician. Daedra was pretty sure Miriel wouldn't have known anyway if she were that distracted with her reading. When she came to Maribelle and Lissa again, the Ylissian princess suggested Daedra not worry about it, at least until morning. With the hour growing even later, Daedra gave a defeated sigh as she conceded defeat, making her way back to her own quarters. Clearly, Frederick was in a mood to avoid her that evening, and probably the rest of the war for that matter. Still, Daedra had to wonder what could keep the knight so occupied that no one was able to track him.

As the small atctician made her way to her own sleeping quarters, it was as if the gods were teasing her. Daedra had stumbled across Frederick on her way to giving up for the evening. When she passed the weapon storage, she was surprised to hear the sound of metal clanks from within. That was unusual, she thought, considering it had been rather dark and abandoned all evening, but there was now movement and light inside. Taking a small detour, Daedra went to investigate. To her surprise, Frederick was near by, seated upon a small stool as he set about sharpening his lance and any other weapons he deemed in need of attention. From the look of things, the tactician assumed Frederick had a long night ahead of himself from the collection oh weaponry he had lined around him. Smiling, she decided to take advantage of her luck, but it soon fell from her lips and her happy walk turned to tentative steps when she caught the knight's expression. His brow was furrowed with a stern frown on his lips as his eyes were focused on the weapon he sharpened in his hands. His actions were stiff and tense as he worked at a hurried pace. It didn't take much else to let Daedra see that something was on the knight's mind, and it clearly wasn't pleasant.

Halting her steps, Daedra watched him quietly for a few moments, nervously twirling some of the dark red hair that fell over her right shoulder. He looked to be in a terribly foul mood, she thought. Most likely from the fighting earlier, but… when Daedra thought on it, Frederick didn't seem the type to be thrown off by such an incident. At least, to her, Frederick seemed the type of man to bounce himself back right away by his own means. She honestly was expecting him to be rushing about to try and catch up for his lack of activity that evening, but watching him busy himself with weapons….he seemed almost pouty …. angry pouty. If she had to guess, his thoughts were not truly on his task. If that were true, she was probably the last person he wanted to see. She stood and silently debated on turning herself around and leaving. Frederick was too absorbed at the moment to really notice her yet. She could just wait till morning to speak with him…. yet, she shook the thought from her head. No, she was going to be brave and stop running from things she got herself into. Kellam was right, if she wanted to prove herself, this is what she had to do!

Mustering some courage, Daedra swallowed the lump in her throat as she approached the knight. She stood in front of him for a moment, debating on how to proceed before she gingerly spoke up.

"Um…Fre-Frederick?"

The knight winced when he recognized her voice and paused in his task for but a moment. He never looked up to her as he began sharpening his weapon again with the same intensity as before. There was an awkward silence and Daedra thought on slowly backing away as Frederick remained quiet. Yet, after a moment, he finally spoke up with a stern, "Yes?"

The tactician jumped from the single word, her fingers fumbling with her hair. His solid voice was shattering in the silence that had settled between them. Taking a moment to calm her jitters, she quietly cleared her throat as she took a small step closer to the knight. "Um…goo-good evening. I…I was thinking about… well, what you said…earlier… about…me…running away from training. So, I… thought on it… and I was hoping…to….maybe try…and-" But, Daedra was cut abruptly short with another stern remark from the knight.

"No."

Turning to Frederick with wide eyes, she blinked in confusion. Did she hear him correctly? Before she could question him, the knight calmly put down the weapon and grinding stone in his hands. Standing from his seat, he stared down at Daedra with a terrifyingly serious gaze. The tactician was transfixed as she nervously looked up to the much taller man. It took everything in her power to not shiver under his gaze.

"Bu-but…"

"No, I had given you a chance already, and you quite blatantly showed your true colors to me. I am always willing to train others in need, but only if they truly wish to follow my instruction. The moment I offered you proper combat instruction, you retreated in a rather cowardly fashion. When I pursued, you avoided me and hid yourself for days on end. I will not waste more of my precious time and effort on one who chooses to squander it."

With each accusation, it felt as if Frederick was hammering upon Daedra's shoulders with an iron bar. She physically winced with each statement as Frederick grew harsher in his words. Scrunching her eyes, Daedra tried to contain the sting of fresh tears and will them not to spill. She couldn't blame Frederick, after all. He was correct; she had been a coward and she needed to attest to that, no matter how much it hurt. Clearly, being brave, or at least what she considered being brave, was not enough. Crying wouldn't help her situation either so she tried her best to hold it back. Her throat grew painfully tight as she tried to hold the sobs, and her breathing became hitched. Feeling moisture on her lashes, Daedra quickly lifted her sleeve to scrub it across her face. Exhaling, one choked sob managed to escape her as she finally pried her lashes apart to attempt to look up to the knight. Though it was a losing battle, Daedra was determined to meet the knight's gaze and accept his answer. As her watery vision cleared with a few blinks, the tactician was shocked when she saw Frederick staring back. His angered expression was gone, replaced with… something else. Though his face was still serious, his eyes had softened and the frown on his lips was far less severe. She didn't have time to fully analyze it before Frederick abruptly turned to leave.

"I must go. I have other things to attend to," he quickly stated as he turned and marched himself out of the storage and into the dark.

Daedra followed him with her gaze, confused about what just happened. It may have been her watery eyes, but she could have sworn Frederick almost looked a bit…guilty? Despite her 'bravery plan' ending as a disaster, the tactician knew it could have gone much worse, or so she told herself anyway. Regardless of the situation, her mind couldn't quite get over Frederick at the moment. She didn't understand him, and his sudden mood changes most of the time. He was so hard to read at times, compared to the other Shepherds who seemed as open to her as a book. Clearly her earlier hunch was correct and something else was troubling him other than recent events. But what? Perhaps it had something to do with where he had been hiding all evening…

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"Forgive me, milord! Letting the situation escalade into such chaos is utterly and truly inexcusable on my part. It shall no-"

"Yes, Frederick, I get it. You can stop apologizing, I forgave you the first fifty times you said it," Chrom said in a tired tone as he massaged his forehead in frustration. Looking across at the knight, he sighed when he noticed Frederick's sagged features. Though he still stood at attention as always, his shoulders held the slightest of dips while his forlorn expression matched that of a kicked puppy. Massaging his temple again, Chrom tried once again to get a clear answer from the man and not a slew of fluttered apologies.

"I understand, I really do, Frederick. Everyone is under a bit of pressure, and arguments happen. I just wish to know where it all came from. It won't do to have the Shepherds at war with each other as well as the Risen and the Plegians."

The knight straightened as he sobered his expression. With a nod, Frederick cleared his throat and made to explain. "Of course, my liege. I apolo-" Frederick paused when he caught sight of Chrom's expression and made to retract his upcoming apology. "Milord, this argument was no accident. I am sure of it. It is a sure sign that betrayal will be swiftly upon us. You can't deny how masterfully orchestrated it was; but this was surely just a test – a trial! I am without doubt that the tactician is-" but Frederick was cut short as Chrom suddenly interjected.

"Hold, hold, Frederick," Chrom raised his hands in a gesture to pause the knight's train of thought before he continued. "Don't tell me you blame Daedra for this. She wasn't even there," he stated as his gestures and voice began to gain edge. Surely Frederick wasn't that paranoid, he thought to himself.

"But, she was, milord! She had been there from the start, before your gracious and timely arrival! As evidence of her dastardly nature, she slipped from sight like a serpent right as the fighting grew the most heated," Frederick hurriedly explained.

"And who could blame her? I wanted to run from that mess earlier as well, but I unfortunately didn't have the opportunity."

Frederick was silent for a moment as he watched his charge. Chrom's expression was growing rather angered the longer this conversation went on. The lord crossed his arms about his chest as he looked to the knight for his response. Frederick cleared his throat and went over his thoughts before speaking. Chrom was challenging his accusation, and while Frederick normally trusted his leader without question, this time he had to intercede. With war upon them and life threatening situations thrust at them at any given notice, the knight knew he had no room for error anymore. He had to convince Chrom of his suspicions, lest all of them be placed in the worst of positions.

"Milord, she still acted in cowar-"

"Enough!"

Chrom's voice was stern and sharp as he cut Frederick off once more with a swift gesture of his arm. The knight was shocked, having rarely seen his charge act in such a manner, especially to him. While Chrom was known for being rash, he rarely focused such emotion at his own Shepherds. He was known for jumping head first to defending the weak and ill-treated, showering his rage upon those who would take advantage of such misfortunate souls. Needless to say, Frederick found himself shaken into stunned silence.

"That's enough, Frederick. I won't hear this anymore. You've always been a devoted follower of the realm and a dear friend to me and my sisters. It's honestly allowed us to put up with a lot from you. But this… I won't hear this anymore about Daedra. Not only has she been a skilled tactician for us in our time of need, but she's also been a loyal and devoted friend… to me and all my Shepherds. And as my friend, I cannot allow anyone to address her as such, even if it's from you, Frederick. I know you normally only think about what is best, but I've been listening to talk amongst the others, namely from Lissa. I think you're letting a personal grudge, whatever it may be, cloud your judgment. You've taken things too far, you've always taken things too far when it comes to your duties serving us, in fact!"

The knight had bowed his head in silence as Chrom spoke. Frederick hung on every word, his fists clenching as he held them behind his back. Raising his face to the prince, Frederick spoke with conviction. "That may be so, milord, but I only truly want what is best for the Shepherds and the Halidom. Regardless of my feelings, this is an army… and armies need capable fighters. If one is not capable…"

"Then they'll perform another needed task! There are other positions needed in an army other than warriors. I know Daedra isn't… very skilled in weapon-faire, and perhaps it's foolish to make that as an excuse. She does more than enough as our tactician! Without her, I don't think half of our troops would even still be with us. It seems selfish to ask more, but if it must be so, she can be made a cleric or some other position without weapons- I honestly don't care!" Chrom's voice grew heated as his verbal tirade continued on the knight. Frederick could only watch with a shocked expression as Chrom continued. "The fact of the matter is that this is over, Frederick. I trust Daedra fully and without question. I won't hear any more of your accusations or assumptions of her. If she truly wished to cause harm, she could have done so, more than enough times already. This discussion is finished, I've had enough for one night. Goodnight, Frederick!"

Chrom swiftly turned and took a few steps away from older man. While the knight's services and devotion meant a lot to him, he could only take so much of them, and he'd hit his limit for the evening. Frederick, meanwhile, was ashamed and disgusted with himself as he seemed frozen in place. He silently watched as Chrom slinked away, easily seeing the tension in the man's shoulders. Tension that he, himself, brought upon him. What kind of knight was he, to summon more trouble his charge, when the man already had enough burdens to deal with? Had everything he'd been doing for years….really been a burden instead of a service? Frederick stood in silence as he thought back over the years, taking note of how more often then not, Chrom and Lissa seemed frustrated instead of being relieved or gratified. Bowing his head shamefully, the knight muttered a small apology and dismissed himself, not wishing to bother the prince any more with his presence. He had a lot to dwell on this evening, it seemed. As he took his leave, the knight straightened his back and began to march himself in search of a task to complete. The weapons hold always had things to keep him occupied with. He may have botched things up that evening, but the least he could do was make himself useful elsewhere while he tried to think of what to do concerning his poor performance as of late.

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The next morning could not come any quicker for Daedra. Though, she didn't even bother to actually wait for morning. Ever since her 'talk' with Frederick the night before, Daedra had been at odds with herself. As much as she tried, she could not escape the memory of Frederick's harsh, if not justifiable, refusal. Though he didn't say it, he was deeming her a lost cause. In truth, Daedra knew she could in theory just ask another Shepherd for pointers, but it seemed pointless. Frederick seemed to have trained all the Shepherds upon their joining, and was still giving instruction to those who had been around for years even. It felt a bit awkward to get lessons from someone who was basically still receiving their own training, not to mention the lack of time that would create for both her and her new instructor. Plus, the tactician knew from observation on the field that Frederick seemed to be a warrior of all trade, so to speak. He was proficient in swordsmanship, lance work, and even knew his way with an axe. That was quite a lot for one person, considering all the other Shepherds seemed to focus on one weapon or skill, maybe only attempting another on the side. With that, Daedra would have to pinpoint to one area if she chose another Shepherd as a teacher. When she went down the list of all the styles of fighting she could take up, none seemed to click perfectly. She wasn't strong enough for heavy armor, and she seemed equally poor in all weapons. She thought vaguely about being a cavelier, but she couldn't bear the thought of hurting one of their horses with her lack of talent. The fire tome incident when she first joined was excuse enough to avoid being a mage of any sort. Truth be told, nothing seemed like an option. But, Daedra knew that if there was any hope for her to be decent at any weapon, she would have to learn from the most seasoned of the Shepherds….

Daedra let out a defeated puff of air before looking to the still darkened sky. The sun was only starting to peek out over the horizon, the touches of gold and red trying to push back the evening clouds to make room for daybreak. Her battling thoughts had kept her restless for most of the night. She'd given up trying to get more sleep when she heard a few birds begin to rouse in the nearby trees. There was little point in laying in her blankets when she could spend the time making herself useful, plus if she found a task, she could focus on that instead of her troubling thoughts. As she wandered her way about the quiet grounds, she decided to head for the larder. The best task she could come up with this early was to start on breakfast. It would keep her occupied and it was something she knew she wasn't completely awful at. Thankfully, Sully held that record. When she had arrived at the rather spacious larder of Yisstol castle, Daedra was more than surprised to see someone already there. Stepping in, the tactician looked with wide eyes over to see Maribelle struggling with something at one of the small worktables. A fire was going in the hearth to easily light the area and she spied a kettle of tea simmering away. The young noble had a rather stern and frustrated frown gracing her normally lovely features as she growled over her task. As Daedra approached, she noticed there seemed to be a silver spoon in Maribelle's grasp, as well as piles on the table and within a rather decorative wooden box set upon the table.

"What are you doing awake this early, Maribelle," the tactician asked.

The girl literally jumped in her seat, the spoon in her grasp flying to the table where it collided with the other neat piles, scattering them across the flat surface. Daedra winced at the sharp sound of the silverware all clattering together, and only shrunk back when she noticed Maribelle's sharp glare upon her. She made to open her mouth to reprimand the tactician, but at that moment a shrieking whistle cut through the larder. Quickly turning to the forgotten kettle, Maribelle flew from her seat, grabbing a rag from one of the counters and took the kettle from the fire. The steam and noise instantly began to settle as she looked about what to do with it. "Marvelous. I sit and remake the tea and he's not even hear to watch me pour it. What terrible luck." At that statement, Maribelle shot the foulest of looks over to Daedra. The tactician only smiled nervously and shrugged in an apologetic fashion. The fierce glare only lasted a moment before Maribelle released a defeated sigh, "Oh, what's the use," she sighed. Placing the kettle upon a hook, she turned it close to the fire to keep the water within warm enough to drink until she decided to make use of it.

Daedra frowned in thought as she watched Maribelle look about and return to her seat with a rather ungraceful thump. The tactician watched with curiosity as the blueblood took up a cloth and spoon and set about rubbing the textured surface over the silver. "Oh, you're polishing them," Daedra said as she approached and sat in a chair beside Maribelle as she watched the other girl work. She let out a small yawn before looking over to the small tactician. "What did you think I was doing with them," she snapped.

Daedra gulped slightly but continued to speak. "Well, it's just, I didn't think you polished them personally. You're always talking about your servants back at your manor… and we are at a palace. I figured there are… people who do it here."

"Oh, there are, you silly girl! If you are not aware, I am getting lessons in the art of stewardship!"

Daedra blinked confusedly at Maribelle. Well, that was news to her. "'Stewardship'? Like… being a butler or maid?"

"Ugh! Of course, what else would it be? Now to prevent you from asking any more annoying questions, I am learning the art so that I can pass it on to the help in my manor. If I want them to be the best, they need to learn from the best – me," she stated as she rigorously began polishing a new spoon.

The tactician made an acknowledging sound but said nothing more for the moment. Maribelle clearly wasn't a morning person, though in retrospect, Maribelle seemed snappy with anyone but Lissa or Chrom. Looking at the pile of silverware beside her, she took note of the sheen upon them. While each spoon was clean and spotless, they lacked that certain reflective quality she was normally accustomed to seeing on them. Curious, Daedra looked to the blueblood and had to ask. "So, who is giving you the lessons? Or are you self-studying?"

Maribelle let out a snort through her dainty nose as she made to answer. "From Frederick, of course. At least, I was, until he decided to leave me to my task so he could…rush off to do some nonsense or another. Honestly, the nerve!" Maribelle turned her gaze over to Daedra, never stopping the motion of the polishing cloth, and just caught the tactician as she winced. "He's in the foulest of moods as of late, no thanks to you," she snapped but instantly bit her tongue when she saw Daedra's face begin to scrunch up. "Uh…no, wait, I'm sorry I said that." The noble stopped her work and placed the spoon and cloth upon the table as she turned to Daedra fully. "I didn't mean it like that. I know you didn't do it intentionally, and Frederick….well….he's a strange sort, let's be honest. The things Lissa has confided in me about that man and the things I've seen myself! Outrageous! I fear I am a bit….testy from this early hour and this…ugh…activity! It's positively degrading! Me – a lady of fine upbringing – up at the crack of dawn to make tea and polish spoons! The things I do for my home! And, my tutor even abandoned me! Ugh!"

As Maribelle ranted about, Daedra couldn't help but smile and giggle. Poor Maribelle, she thought, even if the whole thing was a bit silly. Still, the tactician was relieved to discover her earlier assumption was true and that Maribelle was actually very nice under all her fancy upbringings and her sharp tongue. Looking back to the table, she took note of the silver again and frowned. While the cutlery seemed acceptable to the other girl, Daedra knew better. If Frederick was overseeing her steward training, he was not going to like the quality of those spoons. Looking to her own palms, she tenderly rubbed them as she remembered the pain of her own first go at Frederick's polishing routine. She could only imagine what Maribelle would do when she found out she'd have to start over.

Looking to the door of the larder, she silently debated with herself. There was a good chance Frederick could pop in at any given moment, and she wanted to give him some space. Yet, she couldn't exactly just turn and leave Maribelle, especially when she knew something the noble didn't. Making up her mind, Daedra immediately got up from her seat and went over to one of supply drawers near the work counters. Maribelle watched in confusion as the tactician began to frantically look through multiple draws and shift things about within them. Soon, Daedra's face lit up in delight as she held up another polishing cloth before returning to her chair and set about polishing a spoon that Maribelle had just placed down.

"Wait! What are you doing?! I just polished that, and I'm supposed to do them! These are my lessons," Maribelle shouted, though she tried to control her voice when she remembered it was still early.

Daedra didn't bothering looking up and kept up her polishing as she replied. "You said you're learning to be a steward, right? Well, there's very rarely just one steward; they usually have lot of help. So, I'll be the help!" She placed her spoon in a pile farther away from the rest of the mess on the table before looking to Maribelle with apologetic eyes. "I hate to tell you this, but you'll have to redo all the spoons."

"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO REDO THEM, I SAT AND I'VE BEEN POLISHING THEM," she shrieked.

The tactician couldn't hide her wince and had to shake her head to clear the ringing before she continued. "Yes, but Frederick won't approve them. He'll make you redo every single one. He likes things to have an almost reflective shine; so reflective you have to be able to see yourself in them. Like this," she chirped as she held the spoon she finished up for Maribelle to inspect. The noble snatched it from her grasp and frowned at the item. After a moment she quietly spoke, "My…but that is rather shiny, almost like a mirror." With a sigh, the noble handed the spoon back to Daedra, realizing that the tactician was most likely right. This was Frederick she was dealing with after all.

Daedra smiled sympathetically as she placed the spoon in its designated place. "Frederick had me polishing the weapons during my first botched training session. I ended up cutting my hands from all the sharp edges and giving myself blisters because I had to re-polish some at least three times!" Daedra noticed Maribelle frown even more as she lifted her soft hands to look upon them, almost as if she were imagining the damage that would befall them. Standing from her seat, Daedra went over to stand behind Maribelle and placed the hands upon the noble's and guided her to pick up her cloth and spoon. "But, I figured out the best technique to get that sparkly shine, and without blistering your hands! Your wrists will probably be sore after this first time, but it goes away in a day. So here, try it like this," she said as she began to ghost Maribelle's hands into the rapid motions that were now second nature to her. Maribelle looked over her shoulder in confusion but soon turned her gaze to watch their hands as they worked together. Once Daedra led Maribelle along, she slowly slid her hands away when she felt the other girl was able to set the motion and rhythm on her own. "There, you got it! Now, if the two of us work on this pile together, it'll be done before they're even needed for breakfast!"

And the two of them got to work on polishing. They mostly worked in silence, concentrating hard on their task to get every spoon to a shine even Frederick would be proud of. When most of the spoons had been polished, Maribelle excused herself to pour the two of them some of the tea that had been waiting. No sense letting it go to waste because of a certain silly knight. Daedra thanked her for the drink, happily taking in its delicious aroma and savory flavor. As Maribelle settled herself in her seat, she paused in her polishing as she turned her eyes to the tactician.

"So, it's no secret about what Frederick said last night. Almost everyone knows about how he's refusing to train you, but I also heard something else from my dear Lissa."

Daedra had to pause at that. Placing the spoon she was working on down, she looked up to maribelle with cautious eyes. The tactician knew information spread like wild vines sometimes within the Shepherds, but she had hoped the incident from last night would at least take a bit more time to get around. Still, she couldn't deny she was now curious at this extra information Maribelle was claiming to have. Maribelle took a sip of her tea and calmly placed it back upon its saucer. When she saw she had Daedra's attention, she casually moved one of her curled locks over her shoulder. "Well, I heard that since Frederick won't train you, Chrom is thinking of letting you be a cleric. After all, armies don't just run on buffoons waving axes, like that buffoon, Vaike. It needs healers too! Who needs swords and lances? I've never touched one and I'm just as important! After all, who keeps everyone stitched together but me and Lissa?" Maribelle smiled at her little speech and gave Daedra a rather cocky look.

Daedra sat stunned. A cleric? She'd never thought of that. If she couldn't fight, maybe she could heal instead. What a great idea, well…. provided things went smoother than her other training attempts. "Hmm, I never thought about being a healer. Another cleric would be useful, I suppose. I'm sure Lissa wouldn't mind showing me!"

"-Ooooooor, you let me show you."

Daedra looked in confusion at the rather confident look Maribelle was giving her. "Huh?"

The noble frowned at the tactician's dazed expression. Surely she hadn't overlooked her ability. "Have you forgotten that I'm a healer as well? A troubadour, specifically."

"Oh no, I haven't forgotten! It's just… I didn't think you'd want to bother with me. I'm pretty…bad at things," Daedra confided with a nervous laugh. She'd seen how little patience Maribelle had with certain Shepherds, namely when it came to mistakes.

"But as I said before, 'if you wish to be the best, you must learn from the best'. Besides, you helped me today, so it is only right I offer you the same assistance. While Lissa is quite formidable with her staff, a troubadour is simply the way to go! Riding upon your gallant steed across the battlefield to aid fallen comrades, and then whisk away at the first hint of trouble to aid the next in need. I keep telling Lissa to get a horse for herself but she refuses! Saying she feels better on foot, such a silly girl!"

Daedra looked on in awe. The way Maribelle described it, it did sound wonderful, and she'd finally be of real use to her Shepherds instead of an easy target. This just had to work! "Alright! Let's do it. If I'm so bad with a sword, I must be good at a staff then. Please teach me maribelle, we can ask lissa, too! I bet if both of you teach me, I'll be great in no time!"

8888888888

Aaaaand done~

I'm so sorry this chapter took such a long time. In reality, it's not that I wasn't writing in that time….but I was actually writing something for a chapter much later on. I got the idea and had a bunch of things concerning it, but my memory is absolutely awful. So I decided to just write it instead fo doing a mere summary thing and forget most of the details when it came time to really write it. It was an interesting experience since it gave me a bit of practice in writing Frederick when he's…not super jerky and butthurt lol. Knowing my luck I'll end up hating the chapter farther downt he line and deleting it.

Anyway!

Kudos to L_Casablanca btw. The fight was going to be in the chapter the whole time but your suggestion came pretty close to it already lol. Also I've set up a tumblr for myself for FE doodles mostly. You can find me under 'scienceeyes'. Not much floating around but feel free to take a gander. Once again thanks for reading!


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